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.

5 ^# h  q0 K9 r8 g% i8 S 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
- q5 b( m$ F+ e! E The pebble is worn smooth
* h' _' U3 p& n; A5 p. x Made small over time
8 U3 _3 d. S- g& G7 u; U* Q& }5 F A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, j1 C* p) K$ ` A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
% q5 m+ L: U; }1 H+ t' G& D* Z% a But just a very small stone.
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0 k! K2 \2 G- C7 B" f 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.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
& v( Y0 s6 |' k8 r7 }2 W9 | Spiral outwards
1 [  w% L* x4 s- N4 Y% l Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
; q' s8 Y9 W& d1 D8 L. h Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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) F# S: K' z$ K! M+ R Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
$ m7 C+ Z9 a. i But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 P9 L. Z1 @# |6 d Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

1 p7 e9 J% Y3 T0 `7 D It is true then:
* d. j7 [) J) w1 Y: M Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
: {9 Z7 V1 B7 {2 s5 I( o% q1 ] Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
1 n: R0 I/ A6 P& r- k8 X% ? Not because of thoughts
6 L+ C7 Q: n3 N& n( r4 k not because of well meaning plans
% d& h4 T! Y7 {! W8 @' U6 ^ But because of actions.

* b6 S' o1 V" j# g: l8 p  H Our life's prayers our answered
; @0 Q. K- K+ \. S2 f+ n' ~( ?4 j0 o Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
" ^$ z2 i. j! c: U/ ?5 s6 X. b Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
  B; f  [+ G4 I! X2 V" _( E beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
1 j# T& Y+ h4 ]8 }2 _ With the knowledge that
9 L: M& d% d; c( E because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
- m' }! Z, c! L2 W( c/ ]) t 8/18/03