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.

6 J5 j  ~0 `7 ] 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.
( m# f3 i$ d* t5 X% f! D: u4 Z- U
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
4 V. _% a5 V3 Q Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) A+ r' t  l; ^ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
# d6 m6 z3 j0 P# I( i3 _ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ f- @. H# j6 J3 ?9 [ Its signature of concentric ripples
5 `1 i% W2 g2 O6 b) [2 O& ~$ d0 V Spiral outwards
$ v  a. Y5 R0 b5 H6 H1 a Moving far beyond itself.
( G: x6 N0 v0 s! M: I; i5 s Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 G" N9 `4 @/ I0 u- ^4 [0 A- O Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
! @& m* V' j- f& r& K Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( ]+ |9 W" W  L' X& \ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

. \0 z# k( S* b( m Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
: o0 D! J3 V# }& P That who we are meant to be
* p% |2 J% S/ @9 C Can never be measured in isolation
2 r4 V' {% C. ]3 Z" E on a path into ourselves.

& W' z+ N6 G+ C  Z  G It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
7 k: L& q2 b* p5 e; D7 ~  s1 }& O* L Creating ripples
! F* j8 c# g  o6 z3 P* O that leave unique mark on our world
* u( `3 T6 N1 z3 ], \1 L# T- f" L Not because of thoughts
" I( _% Z* j% Q( n, ? not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

& d+ B  k$ t9 J- q Our life's prayers our answered
/ S# S# h3 |! z, t Because even the smallest pebble
9 \8 A# U' p, P# {  @ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
2 g3 e* A: ^; k Of those we touch.?
9 r4 }7 l4 Z0 G0 ]0 S) Y4 V* X
And when the icy winds of death
' {/ K8 G% t1 p  p beckon our lasting attention
9 O/ v2 T! y" _  e3 [( a We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
1 j( U4 j' G$ s! X: T because of that one pebble
' H5 c$ X1 K* c. n! d' ~- f+ ` The world will never be the same.
  o3 x" L4 w  `0 c; w
4 _. u- j2 s' \0 g) j And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
  ^; i  t0 u& w) u+ G 8/18/03