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.

3 L  K& ?: @" p, Q8 X5 C; V% X Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
' r1 `# F3 E( @0 f, _! i' b9 Q5 m Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 b% T! a8 S8 i A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
( i" u/ a+ O" f4 S* a9 \ But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
) t# x5 |  W+ g( f7 o Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 p: [+ y  p/ @% x But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 w, g' v2 M4 s Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
( P4 f$ O$ a6 j$ g* Z- A' W' l
% L5 C, [$ Y2 B) r, T The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ _& R# l$ z; t5 ]1 J# P Its signature of concentric ripples
( U8 L. p6 l7 o# G+ z  x% z- ? Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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8 {) m, W; o, T7 q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  ~9 S! r, j8 N6 r By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
6 t7 J2 L4 R. ~3 r
' T6 S0 H* e; S; }. |) _) x* R Aren't we all pebbles?
' w. b! N5 \; D( x* @0 D Feeling small and insignificant
: V: d2 P$ \2 b9 k# Z But ultimately recognizing
) m2 G; o/ w3 r# `+ W' T6 r; m4 a That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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( g2 V2 a5 t) h1 @5 y It is true then:
$ R6 k' k: h! t6 q: i. Z Our everlasting future
: j( E( |9 Q5 n4 ` Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 u0 \# ?: C7 d% u# L5 x Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# y  r, ~! N$ \0 _ Not because of thoughts
% l& P9 o* G$ W8 x+ J$ y% X& u4 V not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
% a" z) P( N  h9 K1 X3 P. S2 s5 o4 g Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
+ p* E$ i, `/ s2 H1 a/ a Of those we touch.?

5 O/ B; T. G- V2 ^3 F7 | And when the icy winds of death
( P% e6 ^- C" a( L1 S, t9 y beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
' K6 z# A% E7 B2 }
4 {. E9 n7 n( l' d9 w6 O" S And then we have heaven …
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0 L& V0 ~, X. K& R5 {% B$ ?9 R Ross Rosenberg
- }: H4 t& q; w# c( U7 { 8/18/03