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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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.

* r5 c8 m+ i, k6 v. t$ ^' @ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 _0 O5 v, ]2 B6 r& p& k; F6 O5 p A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 \+ C% }9 q5 n. t/ N0 b An accidental offspring of a boulder
/ V2 d; A  ?' `0 o; s But just a very small stone.

" P% y8 P0 ?3 j. I The pebble's place in our world
2 Y+ o& B% T5 d1 q  @ Is neither understood nor appreciated
# G! t& I' o" R9 g2 }1 b: e But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

( F3 m9 X( d( ^, Y) i" [* G The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
( d% W3 G* a! m: M& e, N Spiral outwards
  Q8 q" t1 g# |2 ] Moving far beyond itself.
3 q( B+ _% P4 Q0 o Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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- N0 O4 ]- ~5 G$ ]' j/ C The pebble creates its worth and meaning
; H5 Y- w* P- |$ ^" t By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" Z3 v( r- L1 F! y2 ?% H1 e0 M Creating karmic energy
" j( j3 g# Y3 a0 D. t Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

! Z: g9 V, R2 ^+ X4 q# W( U# A Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
: u( A' K4 h0 f8 |* s/ q0 q That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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- V% B3 u3 D3 [1 z3 Z" U It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 L8 y6 K9 w4 s% B Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
" n# L* {" e2 S) a$ @" y- L" Q Not because of thoughts
. n* s: `- C. Z2 o' v1 B  K: {7 b not because of well meaning plans
$ `, ?% c: A( J% P; C But because of actions.
. D5 W" g* \& S( V1 }2 Z
- [  g$ |- d- m5 p Our life's prayers our answered
' S  i& J5 I" ~! D( c. s  o3 B# x Because even the smallest pebble
! B- A" e. ]' `; W7 F7 L- z# H No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 ^- Q6 e- t- J" z' ?( l Of those we touch.?

. i' W( c3 M: U6 I And when the icy winds of death
' R; H) h! s! J( ~0 y9 z3 @  X beckon our lasting attention
# H: b' z0 d7 Z We will gently leave this life
. l! e' M  f4 J0 ^# _7 G/ H0 n With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
3 L; a: Z# J; N6 X2 w4 @ The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

1 y1 h) b6 [& C0 f9 g Ross Rosenberg
5 A1 Y3 K" L! f$ g7 I* w 8/18/03