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.

9 U9 s1 x5 _% @4 D% ^' m7 M1 G 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.
- q6 j* Y" g' I
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
% {9 c+ T* m( O7 j/ _* W Made small over time
; w! r) s  r% |8 C A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 q& F- \, ~" H; }7 T But just a very small stone.
# Z' Y: d( S+ s2 u
The pebble's place in our world
$ W- E, P$ h  I# z, q9 C% |/ a Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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, T+ W: U" B; H; f/ k The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
5 ]* g" c2 k' z2 ~$ @/ i1 Q* K; G! v Spiral outwards
# U7 Q7 M6 j" G  |( }% J' s Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
: m4 u: Y7 N3 d; \ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. S) J3 S4 n+ E9 n3 t Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

4 I  ?( Y) @% t" X+ H4 z Aren't we all pebbles?
! `0 \) M! e2 i+ n Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
% _, ]( H, \# ?: C Can never be measured in isolation
# Q, A- q, T, n, _ on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  t1 _" S  v0 }; _6 |6 L. X8 w& d Into the pond of life
2 T& H( x, X0 R; Z# n9 e  p' W Creating ripples
; _5 r; o( \, q- t that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 x+ _: j4 i( P. f9 b But because of actions.
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7 W& D" z9 o7 O7 r Our life's prayers our answered
+ q+ q' q0 x& ]$ i( R8 D Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
. |4 I; F: p: A3 |1 l6 X Changes the course of the lives
% H* \7 o, E+ x; U; K$ ?  K Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
7 o1 F6 a) @3 x% p5 [2 P( U* |+ } beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

6 b0 t) C3 [1 X7 g Ross Rosenberg
& j( ^/ _+ e1 G1 p9 z5 g! h. I 8/18/03