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.

+ {/ q2 z  O: o9 p2 T5 j' w& M9 _% L1 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.
7 R! H* O- O3 S3 G1 e5 O2 K2 f
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
' v" ]3 ?* f+ k* h& g% o8 V Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 U, c4 x/ H7 o But just a very small stone.
3 r0 x( h3 S2 r# E# J
The pebble's place in our world
) Q5 m) E  n" c5 Y$ r Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 \( c+ q* a; ]! } But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 V4 B9 W. s4 R" `) ^ Its insignificance is transformed
! l1 |% S  ~5 _, ~4 F4 `+ c Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- v% d, N! a/ e4 g0 N5 c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
# a* E/ I/ M4 f& G- j6 k) c, S! N Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
/ j( r% B( P$ m+ |9 Z( v6 j  d
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
1 ^8 v$ g2 A1 N; h3 W7 E Into a dueling force of action and reaction
& c) {7 @6 b; x" @, n( f Creating karmic energy
" Q2 @0 T/ w2 B( j# D$ ~ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

4 R8 G6 z) c0 U5 c$ g+ u Aren't we all pebbles?
# \+ i5 m7 [. O0 h" B) c Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
+ Y  b3 f5 c! `) E That who we are meant to be
' U+ u% X/ f# J Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

8 O3 F9 d& i% l% a" K It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
( z) j. `4 W. B* R/ f. ]: b Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 R" u; p& a5 l4 J; [+ m Not because of thoughts
! M3 s: S  j' j$ L not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
6 B2 x8 H( }* [* X0 Z  t# e3 Y Because even the smallest pebble
4 |% D6 k# S3 r No matter how seemingly insignificant
# \  J, G3 K/ {5 i$ l* d Changes the course of the lives
+ L. p( s" O8 a4 `: Q, j Of those we touch.?

/ c7 U% v- n3 l And when the icy winds of death
; p& I: G: G. D! \% G$ p beckon our lasting attention
7 ~  P( f: ?1 g: c. V  d We will gently leave this life
+ x% H. h5 b: h, M With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
% E+ L/ j4 A. c. t1 O0 u: O- T The world will never be the same.
% ^4 W* n7 Q8 ]$ C  d
And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
4 Z- M& `# S1 j/ Z 8/18/03