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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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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( H, ?1 G! ]' ]8 h8 _ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
3 g1 C& H( P9 }6 @+ K# \0 w 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
But just a very small stone.
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- |: ~5 z" i7 t! {1 H0 E3 y The pebble's place in our world
3 r; q' Q8 j+ [9 }8 N- B  T. c 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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: i: E$ |2 e( x( `  a( ], A9 N The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
% _3 r' C* w' s& j5 F( B; V; A3 q/ d Moving far beyond itself.
$ a) L  K3 W: ~2 k$ `) T' {1 r8 z' ^ Gently affecting everything in its wake
  u& Q( X5 y2 x, \0 A2 g+ ?) r  J 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
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
1 Y& W8 N5 U; b! I9 A1 v Feeling small and insignificant
. H+ J/ n+ K3 L$ Z% I But ultimately recognizing
/ T+ l( N' c9 g9 ~/ c That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ {8 F+ K3 m) S3 r0 Z9 C on a path into ourselves.

* w/ S1 ?5 D# i/ P4 d- |5 { It is true then:
Our everlasting future
# R, \1 e1 i( h+ @( Y# z+ ~ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 b, O( h6 W3 m" h Into the pond of life
9 F+ L) R2 b6 p; C2 J3 G% g Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
' Y" k* Y3 f- ]& R Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
+ r6 U: d! R" b4 ?/ Q But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
8 j9 u* X: h$ o2 M: s0 A  Y6 V Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

: w) a& }4 ^, C: O And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
6 {, t. N: _7 B6 j  @+ d3 D With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
% M- s( g" G# b/ X9 p3 B4 ^9 R The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8 O: w8 Y) u7 e2 B. b. x% ` 8/18/03