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.

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.
, S$ A" g' ?; Z$ V' B: u! }
- U' [3 b7 M& k7 {2 ^: J0 c& p3 J Heaven
: [8 ^$ o+ v9 ]3 m" {: X. ^6 v8 ]) r The pebble is worn smooth
: X, M' L4 u3 r Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 n: F7 N$ E' {+ M: i An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 g+ s! ^& B& j! l/ y But just a very small stone.
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* g3 D* S2 t  Z' y6 i+ X9 ? The pebble's place in our world
( B# A/ Z+ y5 y) S. \ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
. H" m* w. }- |9 W) b; ^2 P Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
7 @. }7 O& m7 m8 \2 r- b By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
+ ?# ?! I( o  a8 h6 c$ N5 I+ f Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
* _+ A" M; H% ^% W( R But ultimately recognizing
$ @% ^- F+ ?2 f$ Z That who we are meant to be
+ q- v+ d2 R) f6 Q& ` Can never be measured in isolation
2 {- c; w  G: X on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
' |4 l2 U, b# S8 S Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; u9 ?# N5 L( i Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
  h" @$ Q$ a$ b: v8 ~* ^6 e6 T Not because of thoughts
1 O% n% z5 ]6 B- a. g not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
. N" ?% z* C0 l. v. k8 k Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 J# c* l9 |& k1 M2 U  o Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
+ ]6 O; B4 [  Y, Q" R We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
8 d6 B( H9 i* l  c: E' [/ X because of that one pebble
+ B* D1 G( N& T: G- E The world will never be the same.
5 N( E" G& P7 U2 d8 s
And then we have heaven …
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% {2 x7 E3 n; i Ross Rosenberg
; O/ i! A, R1 f3 v: c& m4 C 8/18/03