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# @( v  C, ~: Z 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.
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, c- F4 b+ @* s, ^" Z Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
  d1 B1 M! d2 c- e. Q An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
: V/ |1 T( @- X" ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
1 @- h" B+ A0 Y0 V2 a5 N Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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& j0 `2 v' C! H- {. K" @ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
  w4 G  h' a( J$ H8 `/ Q# n& E8 }: \ Moving far beyond itself.
; w3 ?& y8 E9 G Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ S$ k$ e# f" Z) p) n3 k$ ?) J( a Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
1 n; s# l- A  S: G4 E5 A- | Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
- [9 K3 N9 }. m: O/ g Feeling small and insignificant
- h$ |+ C/ j, @2 F But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 q% {, q. S, [2 y2 p Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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% n0 b) ]1 a% S- U) B  W8 X It is true then:
. ~7 h2 n( k4 t9 A; A- u Our everlasting future
: E! l# k  K$ z1 D) y2 _7 s% P Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* G' p" x8 K2 j/ R3 K" N Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
& I$ t' c; \0 k; A/ k- b( s that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
" n; ]; b. I) E/ M* ` not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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* V& p5 O9 [4 `' n" y( Z$ K! ] Our life's prayers our answered
0 W9 e1 T7 n5 V. k5 A: _1 h Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
! M; ^  |/ N, v% U* n% [) P2 \6 s beckon our lasting attention
7 Q# ?+ C6 K1 ^, p We will gently leave this life
2 x& d: [/ e* R3 J5 r7 W- G With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
2 N+ u, C' z; X& ? The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
4 P8 c, {7 B7 n6 L 8/18/03