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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; h0 o4 z) \& I9 K: v, g6 A, S& Y 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.

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
An accidental offspring of a boulder
6 X  J8 A0 ?/ ~9 X  n& c9 d But just a very small stone.

: s" @  \( G7 N6 K The pebble's place in our world
5 {1 `  Z' c  `8 s* W" w; c8 ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ R# u+ w5 Y# O/ D- c  n3 q! }' e But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
# K+ J8 S1 Y" Q Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
8 L& W3 C9 h: X- Q) J9 U
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 a9 y$ J; s; l3 {6 J. c Its signature of concentric ripples
" l$ m9 h! U4 T' M) b8 V# Y Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
' h/ Z. I& n0 B# R7 Z) @2 x6 N Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

) C0 f' ~% l" m" T* c& h: V6 Y1 e+ a+ q' N The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
* q+ P% Q9 m6 y" v" S Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" U( p  d; E5 u' u' J Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

3 M* {0 _% G& @& d3 K5 z Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
. X9 O6 k8 U& |$ Y/ A But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

) ^: c$ m) ?: X It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' p. c0 d4 P* c& z& \- l5 G Into the pond of life
) y- M8 k' C" ?3 S9 {1 P4 w" k- o Creating ripples
' i  u4 v' v  u9 G6 B' o/ y2 n8 Z that leave unique mark on our world
# t6 z7 w) I6 i( T" r: n$ ] Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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, F7 G  r9 ^0 g9 A7 K Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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/ Q9 D6 f2 I, A( s& |! N1 b And when the icy winds of death
* P! Q7 h" m; a3 {! J' H beckon our lasting attention
4 p' A2 E* e+ s/ R5 N; p. a We will gently leave this life
$ n+ E. W7 H! x With the knowledge that
" u3 p# Z4 O; O# z. ~2 [! @$ c" \ because of that one pebble
" v8 g  w  k- I- h* z: q) w4 ? The world will never be the same.
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; a& e3 |) X% U$ ~( {( t And then we have heaven …
7 ?" s, X% X& y1 q
Ross Rosenberg
2 u4 N$ Q( ]$ d; Z# v# x& K 8/18/03