Heaven

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Seven years ago I was asked by a friend if I was "religious and if I believed in God?" As a (formerly) practicing agnostic I quickly answered:"no." However, I defended myself by explaining that I lived my life according to universal principals of "right and wrong" (as I understood them). Because I believed that our deeds create a lasting effect on the world, I felt confident in my everlasting future. In other words, I wasn't worried about there being a heaven or not. I told my friend that when I die, I am banking on knowing that my impact on the world will be ever lasting. My "heaven" will ultimately be the creation of the the sum total of all my actions.
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: N5 r  A" k. I# \ I will never forget my friend's response: he looked at me with glassy eyes, and told me how deeply spiritual I was. I didn't see it. It took five more years to see what he meant. Such was the inspiration of the following poem I wrote.

- x' O  h# r# j: u) `* \ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
% u; t' a/ D9 v6 f9 |' ?1 T8 [( Q Made small over time
: ?% S9 I; c: Q; x$ m7 a A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
$ T1 c1 a" I- i Is neither understood nor appreciated
/ M$ Y, p' S# c: C9 D+ {5 j1 W But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

8 o0 o  W# u" H6 H) w; \  Y8 y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
7 K: {  ^4 ?- C6 P% j  n9 Q Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
" c, j* `. x- W2 v By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
3 r9 M" n# F, S4 F. n6 O* c Creating karmic energy
! @3 a0 [. ~, }7 h3 B Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
1 f9 s: N6 x, ^ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
) c6 K0 E# u# S) C4 C0 o8 p- y5 w Can never be measured in isolation
) }& ?/ @9 x/ T1 d% w4 c on a path into ourselves.

' X. w  i% ~; [. T+ h It is true then:
Our everlasting future
# `; l2 p& O; P) F Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
( u( p3 `9 x* W  e! ` Into the pond of life
" y! t# X& ]9 G+ T Creating ripples
9 a$ G$ d; G" J$ Z- |' _$ j that leave unique mark on our world
1 o# V" U2 Q8 i; l* b# J, p/ m Not because of thoughts
2 y$ R" H9 V$ ^ not because of well meaning plans
% [( E; R$ T7 Q7 ]" j3 f But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
' ^6 |' q7 M+ w No matter how seemingly insignificant
! O: t3 q4 C+ F& ^- N9 i Changes the course of the lives
: u5 W% P! `' G2 K, |) C Of those we touch.?

1 l% }3 t! a# j1 I0 p( I And when the icy winds of death
# _3 P/ s& H7 U! u9 @ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ [7 q) A  x* ]) o4 z) S+ q5 S because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

- c* e2 Q0 R2 x* M( N. {2 v4 ~  e8 s And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
, \# \& E/ @; ?% W  g7 y 8/18/03