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.
6 F3 c! }: i' b$ X+ x# ?
; D$ p, a2 ]: u6 P6 Q  \4 Y 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.

, P4 l* F/ p0 p% l. p Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
. D1 d8 C( H9 s' u5 Z0 v A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 v# F' S/ W/ ?/ Y A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 U! p9 `9 \+ \5 M; K3 d0 y& ? An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
! E: X5 A) |, \+ v Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
$ p; v9 t% j' w( ~ Spiral outwards
) Q- e2 r' H9 g6 } Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
+ v- P2 f) g: U* h/ ^" q6 g5 {! H
$ j3 {7 q. Y4 U. E0 a) \  ~ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
, v: G( h% m+ b4 O Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

' {( b- Y% L( |+ c Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# ], K# A8 q" b2 g) S; w But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
$ y: a5 T; f  y" I* D, h Can never be measured in isolation
- r& W8 ^; b- g4 _ on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
; s5 n) e- L3 t$ I Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
$ O2 M& Q) l9 v: m Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
! N. p' s1 [! u7 G& [  O Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
7 E1 e" ^/ f$ t. V( v2 D+ U Because even the smallest pebble
! B- a/ U. Y. C9 U No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 U% k3 p! C8 Z0 j- R Changes the course of the lives
0 p$ M2 T7 M- J( M1 F: ^1 K Of those we touch.?

, p: }1 d" u! d2 n1 h+ \ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
% y+ P0 U. X' ?* w- @, A7 I2 r4 k% z because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
6 M0 d6 [) w5 ], ?# t
And then we have heaven …
- W" s* h! ?/ D3 T0 M  ^: H
Ross Rosenberg
9 y, ~& S. v; A. Z/ u  {, V 8/18/03