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.

  j* w$ n9 h0 @) `' 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.
0 q/ V* \/ f3 ~$ B! |3 ], N
Heaven
; |' N% E: i1 r' B The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
/ N1 l& O: ]/ z, [! L- O A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
! N8 C2 b; G2 l. |; z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
, c6 [8 z4 |0 O" ?/ t9 L4 x An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

$ s& F' J, Q9 X! p8 L6 W The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. z& E' \+ C3 r3 B- F% K Its insignificance is transformed
8 E5 M' M3 |# W  r% V1 @: H2 p: @ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

0 b' t1 P: s* G+ z3 q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
- P8 q4 c9 [4 @- a Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
' t4 J: b9 B3 P. o8 j! ]/ F Gently affecting everything in its wake
/ a" ?- M0 Y" o* X' N Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
/ K; @! Y+ s8 ~! i) ]8 F8 V* ]: a3 ?" Z
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
# }' K0 y6 V, O, u Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
: E- D% y: @" C) H2 a$ P on a path into ourselves.

( p2 }( p  F/ W It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
- G4 M: s6 u- \. G" r8 \# y that leave unique mark on our world
& i% {# n6 A0 T. h Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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% t. V0 ^# N9 ~3 P% L- Z1 e Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 J) T. K0 n1 n9 ` Changes the course of the lives
& R6 D4 }; R$ m Of those we touch.?
7 n- E' a8 s% Z: Z
1 _! Z' ?' b0 X. l4 O" ]8 I And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, d: Y( h3 R1 b9 c5 F7 F% f We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
7 a5 V5 x) h4 M5 p The world will never be the same.

- ~1 z% U4 o4 u' ?; H+ v+ l& d6 I And then we have heaven …
9 T) x4 F8 g0 h3 D9 S! D: ]9 K+ B
! H3 E" _0 y% @2 _+ S4 i/ \ Ross Rosenberg
+ R% j1 P" b8 u4 q) W% S& F: B 8/18/03