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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: a$ T2 t" g- |; p 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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# n# X- A  I# A+ z% x. l5 a: H 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
+ i( G8 V% d* F. e/ F3 _ But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- y  l8 Q9 s  ~ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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7 _! D( m2 r( T! g7 K" y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
! l( a% \9 d6 n4 t Moving far beyond itself.
9 c& r) ]2 {/ p0 x5 L+ t Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
! b2 W3 h* A8 [5 |2 z5 e Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- \" x: X, n8 }4 c5 a Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

9 G! c$ X! J! Q3 q! H8 W Aren't we all pebbles?
3 B" f0 l7 ?6 L1 P0 u. V Feeling small and insignificant
; Q: G7 B, H& o) h But ultimately recognizing
* {7 y7 D( F+ [6 o- G, O( R) q That who we are meant to be
+ g7 \( u+ w, x' }5 P5 N, i1 H- p Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  B! l1 o0 z5 m) e2 n# ]0 r Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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Not because of thoughts
! d% l, E! F/ } not because of well meaning plans
% i2 y! b. e( \/ x- o: D But because of actions.
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* s1 Y" e. p1 [( |& X0 P, V  a Our life's prayers our answered
0 h7 J& C0 q3 x# s: ~ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
7 P' p( `8 f  F8 [+ v! R Changes the course of the lives
$ O6 r' ^3 \1 |7 H Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
- A$ Z. {6 L6 M6 p$ ] beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' v+ _, d. {# e2 h# }! z/ o2 r5 h With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

5 q# @5 T8 |9 c6 m And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03