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.

9 |8 s9 o/ J3 y: @3 @ 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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3 ~4 i2 F/ Z7 E( a) D- T& j& p Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 |1 p: }+ P  E$ | Made small over time
0 |' T5 Q9 u) O1 [: P9 ? A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
. ^0 r& N4 @! I% D3 T* z$ ~$ W An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
' c( _3 i. o+ u" O* E% P' ^ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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1 r0 n: P7 E0 N5 R. ?; t9 D The instant the pebble kisses the pond
1 e( w* h. C# D8 p Its signature of concentric ripples
. R& t" r4 _! U' B Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
$ R2 g0 D6 N; Z4 U% Z2 w% r5 ^( X Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

; Q, }$ p* f' Y% J9 f3 a3 b$ |7 {  M The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# u8 ]+ s0 s3 d1 m) c By unleashing its unimagined power?
. }9 _+ ~- w& ^) { Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
7 a! p5 t! j7 P+ W Feeling small and insignificant
  q: A9 c. C2 @  `  ?0 _: ? But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
( l% H% u7 q1 F4 i4 M1 T Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
& U! P% _! r3 c Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 [, s& L9 }! X$ h Into the pond of life
1 @. f3 E2 p4 s$ \4 n, B$ ~5 t& r Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
6 |9 H$ @, L  Q Not because of thoughts
: i  F6 \, r/ _4 `) Q not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 ~% A; J' \: O; \ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
$ D  a+ X; y( ]$ b. N% q beckon our lasting attention
, o5 O4 N3 C1 v( f9 K* I1 e We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
6 U: K- F8 x! ~9 f0 q$ w7 o9 h( ?$ c The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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; \. f* u) f2 }# K- p3 z9 k Ross Rosenberg
$ x0 {, b) A. o$ | 8/18/03