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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1 V3 U, e9 E: T& ]3 [ 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
. ?3 m  A7 @8 [% v1 ]# t2 L A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
# E1 y) c" B0 [$ M An accidental offspring of a boulder
) j* D- N; q) R* E But just a very small stone.
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! ^* n  n5 U7 w0 C' [! T The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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& A# I6 Z8 O! Z# l& v The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
0 J; b0 i: j5 e# }' j$ |  y% O Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
* h0 d, `0 y$ a6 X1 e Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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5 c0 l* x0 _0 d( z Aren't we all pebbles?
) Y% z5 }% v8 P8 f1 G8 Y. r9 j Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
1 D4 q9 T; B. p6 f  _ That who we are meant to be
3 Q# o3 z4 [1 T; L Can never be measured in isolation
5 [7 i( T! E; I) n7 S; ]3 ?3 e6 ? on a path into ourselves.

. a8 n5 b  O, m It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 Q% w1 o* m0 j$ k7 } Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
) f: \; J- o$ E7 N that leave unique mark on our world
. B# W& X+ F# |+ o9 E- j- L7 N Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
  S4 l' Q! m6 l  l. k- t But because of actions.

' o% I# f5 c" u* H4 t* @% }. U Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 r' u% L; D- L3 d Changes the course of the lives
' h2 P! \; ^$ a9 P/ y) N Of those we touch.?

4 E; N. s) e/ `) z4 d" Q6 m And when the icy winds of death
5 f0 J  ~! G# Z, O8 M: \" g beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
* z1 G5 `  p( a' F. H because of that one pebble
- R* J8 F- m3 T: X" K. P& P; [ The world will never be the same.

4 |. O- i2 z; M0 Q And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
! p+ Y& P. i; V4 f 8/18/03