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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: l' r4 s+ j7 ?  h. R4 e 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
' l3 s( Q8 Z: h" q0 o The pebble is worn smooth
1 h- K  g- j6 U& F. l3 U% x Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 u8 }  r5 `# I5 V, z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

" ]( o* W$ H2 H The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 ~& T* r* C' x8 \ Its insignificance is transformed
3 b3 w# e- W0 ^9 Z8 g Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
; R1 v! `) E2 ^# }8 J. J Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

6 o8 ^7 ~9 j! l. B3 x2 h The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 B. Y% B% c/ |0 H$ ?% k Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 R2 r# x  O; Z& ?/ r Creating karmic energy
2 P. m7 u& h: @5 ]/ Q( r# ?; S Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

, J* }: _$ w% D2 Q Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# m. u6 Y. Q* Z$ {6 L+ J* R1 H But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
, T9 A: o6 w4 X: T  z9 K  R! v$ M that leave unique mark on our world
* P0 m  q7 b$ f% ]* @ Not because of thoughts
) C, c7 b7 w  u: O 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
* u& b9 V$ o* v8 A$ k* z4 ^' _; e, | No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
+ R" M; v$ G+ w, ]% t6 `0 w Of those we touch.?

; k5 P% }* b* O3 @ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
* ]6 H) b& j2 x because of that one pebble
" h3 [# [+ b& O* n' t9 V- b3 ~ The world will never be the same.
4 ~' G( e$ [9 z% `
# z  y3 p  P% t/ I And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
3 v! N! O' A' d& @3 r# ]9 Z  R 8/18/03