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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* d) e% I0 U- S. e! S) C5 T$ v 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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
0 N' i/ o, f$ F" Z! } A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
$ ^: i  |/ \# u A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 }8 G1 R. u. ^. |3 r An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
5 P/ ?' q- o5 Q% r& e Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
2 V- _" b/ y- R0 e0 f, d Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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; H2 T1 r: L- L$ w3 K8 U  c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
7 x( i, [- N9 A% b4 T Spiral outwards
, W1 ^* K0 h' B* y  m+ J. c# m6 s Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 \9 m" Y: ^0 J: w" Q* y Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
8 C5 e* E5 e/ {0 K6 a By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 S0 g- l; C' u" U& v4 X Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
" A; T% h, z8 X! Z Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

% \8 H! Y7 t  a8 V Aren't we all pebbles?
# T! g: R0 P# @4 Y, f3 @ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  e, W7 g1 A+ E" L3 p0 @& [6 b3 R That who we are meant to be
# q3 z1 ?, B0 I Can never be measured in isolation
& T0 w% d9 J, g+ @! }; k on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
7 \- @6 q: `; E Our everlasting future
  c2 V5 c+ i; |3 g8 O Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& G% I( t1 h' b; B Into the pond of life
& |# ?) R, K  c3 ?$ `( F Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% @) r/ K! k3 y3 J! \! W& U6 x- U But because of actions.
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9 A3 w( r0 ~. G7 h5 P% u- W% Z+ P Our life's prayers our answered
" M( R1 o5 e0 w2 t) I8 w( F% x Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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, c+ {# S; j6 p$ }: V3 S* k And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
1 x% }6 p; u6 `3 F- K: |% H We will gently leave this life
$ u% O/ k8 d, E( Y  j* g4 Y With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( u+ ~- ]) d- V2 _4 H/ x; M  ?* O The world will never be the same.

9 |: n/ S( k: T And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
- P0 o1 K. f+ v3 @4 X 8/18/03