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.

4 ^% n1 S- B3 y6 r7 B5 u, S 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
The pebble is worn smooth
1 ?, d- L# u" P Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% L8 _4 G6 g" H; K( i+ P; Z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 z/ K  s1 C5 A$ C4 Z) W. P$ a/ f  t& w But just a very small stone.
+ C: q; ]4 M, k9 `
The pebble's place in our world
& `2 q  F. e3 E( a# F* z, \ Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 Y( ~% f/ f+ j4 g2 {, ?$ }) p But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 g$ m" A! r* t$ }/ z3 ` Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

" i8 V+ ]% k& ~- I  g The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  ?; e8 c+ C3 G9 Y; D" \ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
/ @7 Y% f. \2 t$ j+ g( c Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

* G- k3 I4 H1 }7 o2 R0 z6 D The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! W& Y9 e4 h8 ]4 l By unleashing its unimagined power?
% ^' n/ |1 n/ @ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
: f- |6 g2 B; g3 v- q' J Creating karmic energy
; u3 }; U3 ?( g8 A- A Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

5 N7 k0 E* x5 L: k6 \! j5 [& j Aren't we all pebbles?
9 @0 I! J' Y5 H, r% ~) D Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
/ v! [" H1 m; d# {. j' M: T. f* g2 O7 N That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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) _/ F( m& x; t" U( k8 d  ] It is true then:
. U9 r# P; I, { Our everlasting future
# y' A" p# f+ j( Q' p8 k Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
) X9 V. [9 W( T' l& M% U" m Creating ripples
4 D7 e' V% S* T/ B0 U7 H* y that leave unique mark on our world
& @2 b# C! O8 m/ A- h Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
' T; {, E) \9 I2 X$ E1 g; b
/ d( K2 b( H3 H6 x$ L8 J Our life's prayers our answered
. V: i3 g( n$ }1 `5 i9 b4 u* h. T& m Because even the smallest pebble
& S, \8 R+ S' q; ~ No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 j7 o7 E1 Z1 m' V Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
2 ~- d1 K' u$ r9 E4 M4 |0 }- q
And when the icy winds of death
2 y' t/ l( g$ I9 H  Q" z8 D, J beckon our lasting attention
! T; e: D( X; k. q We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
! a+ z1 n. [1 e$ r6 P  o2 ~ The world will never be the same.

  e6 `- v; D- S& g2 u5 b And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
9 B3 c1 R$ o* O" C2 O 8/18/03