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.
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0 ?; y! s- ^7 G# i0 V Heaven
- w' V4 G5 Y: i/ f2 V The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* O( n( P" d, M* {& Z3 v" U An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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: E- V  E9 s. |! @ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 q$ Z5 G6 g1 Z4 l/ Q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 ~8 m+ j( C+ ~! l4 u" V" B) r 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.
! y" t% M- O& T Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 D, j8 T! Z" j' | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
1 v9 \' y9 ]. m. J* G  o9 M9 \: @. p
7 x4 t  s( O! ~3 d The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ u) M/ e' i7 d$ z, n$ D By unleashing its unimagined power?
* t% M' a: _" C- ~! T! C4 Q# G Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
! ~- C6 V3 G5 M' p% l: [ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
  ~8 p- a' m- a Feeling small and insignificant
' R2 ]( A" a7 O3 j But ultimately recognizing
/ H3 t; d" E! @3 L That who we are meant to be
0 s) f% n, {& `: t( c. O Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
$ {, J" b, \8 a. R- P Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! X9 t2 V- \8 O Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
+ l1 C& h+ N7 q$ { that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
- w. V' g1 L6 N$ q not because of well meaning plans
, \0 U( ]0 H2 s7 D' m But because of actions.
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' p+ q- z& a- Y  f Our life's prayers our answered
' L1 y, A; X8 g) | Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
; D" B& n# p" V0 J Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
) [5 ^: C, n4 A! p because of that one pebble
4 S+ g- N0 r0 }5 k$ S- x, k The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
  l( f+ x( ]2 m8 a7 r( t 8/18/03