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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: D3 h% y$ M& I. u* ]. Q- n' 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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3 C6 S$ p# a8 [* X3 p. u Heaven
; b$ o) i9 F: K# p) K. _* | The pebble is worn smooth
3 ]2 h1 T( h# E7 `. k 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
: N4 n2 o! D  T8 x But just a very small stone.
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1 t8 v5 l' {) j% Y- I$ j5 k' o 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.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
) A" c" J* ~' ~7 n Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
  {: Y# Q- [, z. {' R8 U Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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( f: W  D' X% s4 ]+ H The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 Z9 ~% I) r5 J" H6 ` Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

1 w" d, ~- k6 e1 K2 H& [  ] Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
/ z8 V5 M7 V; n# `6 R8 z on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* @3 a. |/ `/ \  Q1 @: { Into the pond of life
' ]5 _8 a6 `% I3 i7 S6 ?, e Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
' M$ J. `+ {$ y8 @/ K) o: \, i7 Q not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
/ g& u, `2 X+ m+ w Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
" G1 @1 P& {- w. r" ] Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
% R& p. |7 e3 S6 M+ i2 g4 j We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
, @$ L, o2 L. R# l8 \& U) a: h  X8 n The world will never be the same.

. u  p: j+ i; J8 v And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
9 I" Y) K- n; ~" G6 v 8/18/03