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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/ q: e8 o1 W9 s2 \ 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.

9 f8 g! [* O* q Heaven
5 I# }1 k% C  T3 w# L' c; P The pebble is worn smooth
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
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
/ F1 a: j  n* x Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 v& ]+ ?& O3 U! R7 ~ Its insignificance is transformed
! J, _* k" J$ C! G) @ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

8 W3 P) r& `  x! t2 H The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; V# k. n% U. O+ r& X5 P& q& c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ a, ~' a  E1 m; ~ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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( S2 A9 k4 ]0 E7 M% M1 n The pebble creates its worth and meaning
8 D- j5 i) p2 _% T0 r+ v! m By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 r7 E0 r0 `) f4 W Into a dueling force of action and reaction
: [9 ?& u! O3 p/ a% h& C Creating karmic energy
3 G" }' x4 s2 k Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
8 R! D$ P  `% q! N  [, h4 b/ T
Aren't we all pebbles?
. A+ N) ?. Z6 B6 E3 A 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.

' ]1 G: D5 ~$ \; {( F4 R) }5 q It is true then:
Our everlasting future
: e$ A0 p1 a0 J Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
7 d0 J" `- w/ F! t+ o$ [ Into the pond of life
+ k9 B4 |7 z+ o( z# h- V7 | Creating ripples
$ N$ }4 ?; B2 a* D/ {/ ] that leave unique mark on our world
7 s* a2 r2 J1 ^ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% _+ |" y6 A+ Y" @" _: E" G" D But because of actions.
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; i3 Z! K" X3 W+ f# W Our life's prayers our answered
  I+ k0 {+ U" C/ j Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 \- r& o3 P8 M/ n' P Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

& r3 d: a7 w) | And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
3 R, @# z% d! V' t  Q8 J We will gently leave this life
8 Y/ a' j" L$ P  _/ S% A- j' X7 p With the knowledge that
' Q2 k' w/ z/ [ because of that one pebble
" G( X' V5 \( }- X5 V The world will never be the same.

* p  [9 F7 g2 t And then we have heaven …
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  ^4 _4 @9 e; M: J Ross Rosenberg
- G9 V2 I; ~1 J: R 8/18/03