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.
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, ]3 y, a$ W) \6 ?% R, ~( t$ y 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 v6 l* H5 x& y7 {, v, H Heaven
# I# |1 r. @9 C- ~/ J The pebble is worn smooth
7 l' [9 B, o8 E  `  H Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 C% k5 l# }2 e. a3 n An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 I( B2 G& l+ Z/ m0 f1 r But just a very small stone.

3 ~* b2 \/ }3 W9 a The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
+ f% z3 W, h, ]8 q' v) h But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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* m7 M; n0 _, ?  U5 Y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
% a8 p2 |- J2 G$ y' F" d0 G- P Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
( ^' s4 x0 y+ P% A% R9 u' p Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
" O# R  ]$ p: j  k8 k Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
' X, \! z9 }+ J9 y8 r/ A Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

( e& A/ s* U: A5 t/ w$ G: |" y Aren't we all pebbles?
& j1 }+ {+ S9 N; {( C% y Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
8 }- f! b9 M( Y7 ^; m Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

# Q. g( f( B9 i0 n% l It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ s* t3 T$ |1 _% v8 K& ? Into the pond of life
6 S* r. F6 ]' {0 } Creating ripples
" e5 g! [. u5 r5 P- R that leave unique mark on our world
, \( a% A' S, S) J& [& ~* e Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: x( A" d" C9 p6 V8 | But because of actions.
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2 ?, `+ @6 a3 ]- K- ^ Our life's prayers our answered
/ h9 c+ ?9 N" n( d Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
- A0 k' e) s' U/ y6 F" l0 I Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
# G, N/ A' A0 S" R$ b& Z! m% K beckon our lasting attention
, R5 J  H: v( |9 r We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
# _7 V0 N) n: n because of that one pebble
3 ^$ e* Q$ `  \' o) [ The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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: x, Y0 F/ I" g  l0 s Ross Rosenberg
, n0 C+ D% O, y4 J7 E( ` 8/18/03