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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
( N% S' Y8 J5 I A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
) x9 E0 h: b( c5 c  p  { But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
: C) p' [8 P# |) A Is neither understood nor appreciated
) O5 [" h* @$ U1 h But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. h) S& q8 Z# B4 k& z% s1 X Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

- q9 R; b: |4 v8 E& H. r The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! u! B  F! d  }' i9 I# m, o9 Z Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
% g6 c8 I' f( w2 I' B  W/ Y. e. B  l Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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8 h! X3 e8 q  h6 t The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) A4 ]% R/ m0 P! B# ]& O! I Creating karmic energy
; X8 _4 V7 {4 K+ _' x: I9 b# d) t Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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' l; }; T- r; [: n& E& ^: M. Y Aren't we all pebbles?
( ~: I5 r. W, J0 g$ q0 T Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
9 H6 f, P( H. p6 l Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

, Y& d/ W% _& u; i It is true then:
* t1 D# b5 ?/ e3 H  Z% C0 D# ` Our everlasting future
8 V0 |; r) X% w1 _! x) W; M& g; N Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
) H; T; l4 y6 N' z$ V Creating ripples
& F1 w3 B# ~# C$ k that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
# s- ]) N8 ?) n* ^+ E/ i( u( ? Changes the course of the lives
" L) [, w# W) Y9 A Of those we touch.?

+ o9 I1 Q% F% d4 ~0 z9 l And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
' L! a5 b, l$ G$ O+ G  s We will gently leave this life
; s/ c3 M9 A3 t" G* R With the knowledge that
* @: w8 b# ]1 x: q0 v5 r because of that one pebble
, M1 G( ~; i7 w7 f( @4 o The world will never be the same.
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1 V* X) c7 _' T And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
( C& S' X" D7 T# B6 ] 8/18/03