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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! c% h5 h0 D' k. b  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
# L& o6 P. [, j$ b. F1 v The pebble is worn smooth
# z/ Y2 ~1 _, m6 f/ _" {/ @ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
: j4 }$ s" O6 g5 @ An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 q- V) b0 i) k But just a very small stone.

9 |. t$ |/ W* F+ _ The pebble's place in our world
) s4 x; E! D& X! g/ |, m Is neither understood nor appreciated
( }" t3 Y6 C8 V But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# @, M* @* |7 ]7 o: F Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
7 ]0 ^4 ^7 f) `! p& | Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
, }" r$ [8 Y" V1 p- J% J Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
/ Q, L4 ]& z; y4 f$ [1 G Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
, |8 w% g! j5 t3 v That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
6 u/ R, m5 l" F4 |8 y Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
, c3 J- j) h, v( l  ^, j$ [$ L Creating ripples
3 v$ @& B7 S( s2 O( \; B that leave unique mark on our world
2 [* Q5 Z. W3 u$ O# q: E; I Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
/ J2 O" t7 s& p5 l3 _0 p
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
& z7 }, l' Q/ \! ` No matter how seemingly insignificant
& ?9 R' y0 ^! L& z9 X/ l Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
& ^8 M: }& B7 Y7 g
5 L2 i/ @& [& A And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
. K1 V8 @! o- f" G* T: T, K because of that one pebble
  F  x8 p9 s0 T, R The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
; }5 V/ @1 m! |; p1 d, S+ |
) s) t/ k3 P1 o6 q# J' W" j Ross Rosenberg
& m1 r/ e; m/ | 8/18/03