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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Heaven
6 S! i# H; Z, c5 @ The pebble is worn smooth
7 H9 j' A) `; s$ t: f' P# E$ ` Made small over time
9 w1 v. M5 _" q6 f" t8 \ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 P; R1 |+ ]' ?, H7 M2 c$ z; c A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
! h1 l8 [% Z" v  `1 Q1 Y Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( B5 f; {6 t1 i8 Q Its insignificance is transformed
' W/ q6 X& g4 G- Y. T7 q3 l- R" \ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

. g' g2 u3 R2 h2 w6 l! I" m The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
+ u$ J9 }. L/ R Moving far beyond itself.
' f; r' s' b0 ^! Q0 ]! z Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
8 P9 R5 K7 K9 c1 F6 M' W4 X6 l
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
/ j) |" E  I+ Z7 q) i/ _% @5 ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' C. k& l# K! X% X6 x: g Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
8 J' Z$ b/ g1 o% n Feeling small and insignificant
' M2 v) S( n+ X8 B But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
  c, D' ^2 A1 V  V  e: a3 H0 B* w on a path into ourselves.
- \5 B- N& x1 ~# C
, y" @) O& C4 d It is true then:
Our everlasting future
. m" y0 A. B7 B! @2 W2 S# f# Q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
0 Q. U0 G& f) A( b6 c7 K Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
, h( }* @: o0 E0 |7 l Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
2 I1 L" E( I9 m2 B But because of actions.

) ^; {! Z  t3 i2 i% q7 P Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
* |5 V+ O4 u$ a3 `3 y1 }9 P' u3 o& I No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 q0 c* W" E! e$ t% j Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
$ K& Y8 n2 o" n' d" T" a
1 E/ Q% W7 p2 q! {/ m- m& K4 T; y- k And when the icy winds of death
# h+ ?' @, z9 Z" L- P5 S( ]6 T& P beckon our lasting attention
$ B& Q' C7 T- O8 `+ C. s% J' u; F  E We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ n9 }! [5 A2 u$ z$ |$ p! w& H) h because of that one pebble
' P4 d4 [5 Y* Y. q The world will never be the same.

- r# r& c% ]! A And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
, C: ?. N# w& ~1 |) P/ R6 Q 8/18/03