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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" P" Z) A0 a  y9 G* ?4 ` 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.

( ]# \  ~0 l2 K. d% S. H Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
. G6 B. ^: R8 C+ \7 e8 |+ y' I A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
/ [; {8 G8 Z2 U' O+ b1 ]" o! i A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
. p0 `5 o- ~% H8 B: p* u" S
The pebble's place in our world
6 r0 B8 F0 o$ T; S Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
. v" e/ m$ |/ j+ | Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  O* I* `3 E4 l  I; N Its signature of concentric ripples
  b8 H$ b( k; E7 l0 x1 G Spiral outwards
. p+ k( h3 f" n( x3 {' G Moving far beyond itself.
4 s) n1 `1 t# I& a Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
# B; t& V" f& `, p7 v6 A" N3 ^
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
# C2 t$ r& [) M; K$ w Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
, {7 ~# ^0 I. K9 T Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
1 K8 F4 _2 d& U! E' [+ w on a path into ourselves.
7 h' ^( U7 {. P& X* I
0 t; u. C$ i4 ~& x# v4 ? It is true then:
3 G; ?; D$ m$ ? Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
* B, q5 u0 l  {* M that leave unique mark on our world
/ D& Y8 k( f& y" j' `) m Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
7 ?& O2 c# q# \# D But because of actions.

# q: M; G1 l* A6 r& I' s0 E Our life's prayers our answered
5 {; O8 G0 {! z3 ?2 B Because even the smallest pebble
/ ?+ S. N$ A9 }7 I# \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
+ m: e# O& E; \5 E" ]5 \ Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
! f$ A5 ~2 d9 Y: p8 h$ ]7 N beckon our lasting attention
: T3 S$ L( R1 \8 X2 p; i We will gently leave this life
: V+ ^* k# D, K/ w4 z With the knowledge that
, |( |3 D" S) n" @- @ because of that one pebble
1 P) G* h4 y! ^$ B. ] The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
) _6 ]0 L3 z; H 8/18/03