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) E0 e+ ]& _- w3 N& Y" e 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.

Heaven
" R) b1 o" J3 N9 j3 x: N The pebble is worn smooth
* |& o6 W/ B& Z! ]$ [ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
4 |  G0 Q$ B: I1 p; w An accidental offspring of a boulder
  |" [$ {, N( X But just a very small stone.
) U6 M5 g2 j  c- ^
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
, G9 r6 E& I5 X5 v" l7 x But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& U: Q2 T) `  t" ^, X" s" c Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

* ^" {- {4 Q! n) c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ l! v* x; w" t- [  H Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
) @0 h; f. n+ y Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

, J( r# m9 f; T The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' F! m& ]5 s6 w4 X4 y By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ {( \6 y2 z( w6 } Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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" R1 Q/ L6 |% |  @ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
% D2 B: o7 q+ \1 y, p$ g on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
! y- M3 a  \) b% e: d0 r* `1 _ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. u7 M1 P" z- w/ X8 k Into the pond of life
; K0 @. K, m3 B: N1 K' Z2 P Creating ripples
* S7 e/ j7 w' S# z, j' O# I that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
7 x$ J+ x# z4 e! Y' | not because of well meaning plans
1 g! }; y: u6 q& o) ?  j But because of actions.
8 X4 F6 q, I( i/ t- z: Z
. X; C  r7 y3 q# W Our life's prayers our answered
% H, K* \! \# F) U  j3 j* ~ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
2 ?" R  g6 m& Z5 I, q% s5 s Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) k" }+ q6 ^; f& z" B With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
# p7 f% |3 Z- u! L 8/18/03