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.
( ]% i6 g' ^5 H8 I8 r& _& x0 i  J- T
% e* S, u, F) _9 T: }9 M$ W2 p, M5 ?; S& 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.

* \) _4 _" p: ^: S Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 K1 g+ V. g! M Made small over time
1 l$ I$ e& I) ^& H A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
  k, [4 I) U( z9 D( O, o But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
* E; B; z# Y8 e Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 E6 h% d; E$ Y" ?% A& q) I But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
8 }4 z2 |& {3 q# @. l8 O Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

* d2 D+ n" K/ |5 J: @8 }( h4 o The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

2 r: |4 {0 S9 E9 r  I8 C The pebble creates its worth and meaning
( d+ s# R  g: L0 o8 X By unleashing its unimagined power?
- X  }' r+ m! g8 A Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
! P# f. n# a- w( Q# @# p: c, h  e. B* p Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

( x  y2 E- v- Z; d3 f( ~" U/ C Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
3 [) i6 O9 N4 r& W
( a8 Q7 {( ~% J2 r It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% i4 U) y( Q6 V& b+ Z4 S4 F& F  ~ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
* _: O3 G$ k: O: D) h% d that leave unique mark on our world
+ y6 a* V) J0 u3 O Not because of thoughts
6 D. N4 D/ U4 X; X not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
3 z' |' E% o8 H& o: l5 l
% [7 u9 n- X2 `. _3 p2 C Our life's prayers our answered
. Y+ a" q0 c( u) k3 c3 J( { Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
6 ^& U$ B$ }  _9 i0 O3 X1 |
# a; u: R  ?2 z7 P. m' X And when the icy winds of death
% ]# A' @; F( I( G beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
4 l* Y4 S" e8 Y' f because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
! |) r7 B3 V# v/ K2 U& g( ~  g) ~- n
; @' w3 P+ p' v And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
, Q' r! m- K- b6 y4 K 8/18/03