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.

6 {, {4 z: t9 W$ f3 x7 y: R' u 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
* E5 T- e6 _8 U
7 M0 A0 z' S: n5 a The pebble's place in our world
" ]' K7 W" g! p+ L% J/ u0 l5 r$ }% Q Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
4 g2 o4 {9 R3 c; p+ A Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 a" v" e7 p( o Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
9 T& J- X" b7 y( q1 { Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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% ]& H( }. y; \* q- _0 W8 ]& e- y! F The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 |( n! d/ A6 D9 V7 M Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
2 w: M5 T3 j( B- J6 h Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
4 D+ t+ J3 p/ R. F* G# N
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
4 d" R: j; W( C  H; k5 J' L9 z But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
- S4 R3 ]0 b( |8 H" P. r* d Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
" q& S- J' P9 C3 h8 v: p5 s Creating ripples
3 L, e8 i/ H. c1 K! X) M that leave unique mark on our world
2 ]% k6 \4 y% y9 c  d6 a1 c) P Not because of thoughts
: y& J1 ?+ a2 r! \, R not because of well meaning plans
$ q9 f2 B" z- z; i; Q; ]( k# M: f* _ But because of actions.
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! D* ]  V' o/ Q; e Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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* M1 N# Y/ L9 E" [9 { And when the icy winds of death
. C4 `( ?( j8 ^( c( w- ` beckon our lasting attention
/ f0 e7 x# d. [' F( R7 F We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
& u5 K. O) i, m
" Y3 t0 M) B1 y/ D. S8 ^# I# F Ross Rosenberg
4 I. z# H3 h) d# X6 A4 b 8/18/03