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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# K. b% b* S& i. J6 [5 {$ c+ G 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.

/ A8 W, m6 o0 m; W  P Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
' O' b. w2 |9 M% a  u But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& W* a2 K" b, p* c" \$ D, v Its insignificance is transformed
) w' Z( E# {) I$ U Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

2 d$ A$ p2 m5 q9 V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 F2 s: z% U9 ]) [0 i1 c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
2 R5 }6 P( {% q Moving far beyond itself.
5 q8 f( m; }6 \2 v$ A* }1 Z. \ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, q- b$ g- X) q By unleashing its unimagined power?
4 x& ^5 ?$ X. f+ [' K, T, t Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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$ z: j. P, a/ t/ A Aren't we all pebbles?
' I) u( Y& f7 Q2 I Feeling small and insignificant
+ }7 w, d* ?# \7 q1 u7 e# h But ultimately recognizing
8 @8 }$ q) r4 q, j1 v3 \ That who we are meant to be
- A5 W1 L) {: q" ~ Can never be measured in isolation
3 I1 @- b" O5 H0 r" f on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
! t, a: y, @9 Z) O4 w% Z Our everlasting future
5 D" S) m$ Q4 |5 w; o5 G Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
; r+ j/ q% y0 b! i! e Creating ripples
( R. H/ e9 q! u0 N6 F, c that leave unique mark on our world
0 E2 K4 n' D& |% U4 e% l3 b Not because of thoughts
) u  K' @# }6 }+ N% \' ` not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
& E5 d% g2 ]. U/ w1 G& |1 S2 b No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
* o6 V! S6 N5 z, ?% b: m3 @3 t% c Of those we touch.?
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, n4 K- f# F1 H* a9 e, o0 [2 R; F And when the icy winds of death
2 ]8 ^& l1 M% H4 _, ]) ?  w beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
" {0 ~( A7 V& R# \ With the knowledge that
, g% {1 ]) n" r" U( v+ q because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
( }. l' I% s2 k# u1 D& O 8/18/03