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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& M5 L  w3 E4 ^ 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
3 U1 n; c& r. ]9 D2 O. ] A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. O  }, C3 D$ P3 z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 V/ u! |1 r; u An accidental offspring of a boulder
( A2 P- z' x. }2 B, P- g+ k$ q8 C But just a very small stone.

; i0 a% G: }% w9 G1 ^1 }; E; R The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
. n, Y* X; o( P But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
4 `, |" V3 E3 j Its insignificance is transformed
- H2 X- f3 t2 z; _/ d Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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$ i; y# Z5 b5 ?5 G; s; S/ p The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
& P0 n; Z/ W9 [9 s% B4 y4 K Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
0 v3 g, D3 O/ z. a# b$ p4 T By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( o; a+ C& r5 ^0 H4 t; ]. s Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

, a; w4 d& \1 R Aren't we all pebbles?
6 d2 c! T! s# K3 M- U Feeling small and insignificant
1 `9 \# {$ L1 t But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
2 [" ~' ~) C# f, B8 c3 P  C2 _8 ] Can never be measured in isolation
: t9 X* k7 F  t$ U7 L8 j on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# N6 c5 w1 a/ Q& q: m Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
8 a) w8 H) J0 h, b9 e4 e$ M Not because of thoughts
6 s; }0 V! d+ E! l3 K9 T' H. z7 c* c not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

+ L4 Q) ~9 d8 d& ^' \* I9 m Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
! }( b1 n) I4 S, x5 v% _4 N Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
" c# s$ @* T" D
And when the icy winds of death
" U5 h' Q3 H* l* _6 j beckon our lasting attention
' k" w- E) ?3 M: Z. T We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ w# v0 S/ k5 _$ ~5 }" w: @ because of that one pebble
' v2 i8 D! h/ \ The world will never be the same.
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& s" d. m& n% ?, `3 S  r And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
4 ^; d3 r5 r+ X. v) R 8/18/03