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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; N6 M6 t" d" u% x 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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Heaven
0 l: P; u1 x! R7 i* @/ d# n The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
9 a: k6 s% \, V$ A. ]  _ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 e: y6 U0 b* P- V5 \ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
  m3 i/ |; S9 ]- r% c, w An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
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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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
: j; X- j2 J5 a; s) y* z5 \ Its signature of concentric ripples
: t+ @$ f! P: O1 R& U- u( ]" X Spiral outwards
, k9 G8 b- @% f, b Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
) @+ F: U; T1 ~+ Y# o& U9 x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
; r; i: Y. l# v) J( l8 _ Creating karmic energy
* |& r; n* E2 u" N$ k* ?" Z  e% M Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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1 F7 \# U6 z3 G' y5 r. R Aren't we all pebbles?
2 a- O; S1 p1 B) y9 `* y+ L Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
8 }1 F% C) i* ~  C on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
2 Q8 z# F; V. A% C9 N/ H# c# W Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
6 I# K) E1 f9 K- X7 k Into the pond of life
' ]# L2 e& I( H, J Creating ripples
8 N+ o6 I& m9 O4 u( ^# l' L that leave unique mark on our world
$ Y. h/ }$ a7 v: N( o0 P Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% Y3 Z1 c, ^' {- J But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
0 D- o: ^( |0 V Of those we touch.?

' t* N; V4 A) x0 x8 n And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
, U. X+ S2 G2 g+ t  H9 W With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
2 ~+ f* H, j$ Q3 I8 T& E 8/18/03