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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9 u4 N3 q  G1 \/ D+ 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.
7 i; n* x0 j  }! H- ]
- r6 n7 s' O: ?4 e; I5 x( a  {7 F Heaven
$ @4 C- n, Z- i2 X' d" { The pebble is worn smooth
% y5 D: h, h' }9 a Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 ?8 d# W$ n- a& h8 p3 F A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
7 Y  m" G( e; {6 Z: r! |  U2 G/ P
) R# X5 O9 L) w6 M# m+ v, v; l 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.
* j. A$ y- p# E
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
8 Q9 f6 `; ?' d3 [( [1 o. h+ |  e Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
2 o/ d: n, w$ K Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 `' D% W2 p( \2 e By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
, w- {3 [; e8 g" W1 \3 @, K% A8 s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

; a: C6 T# k: ]- X+ I( w Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
' P; D9 U, b  a. l$ X6 G6 K; I; w! H! { But ultimately recognizing
  r& r% O" f: l2 k That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
* }2 e1 W7 d' P! ^# O6 }: T9 m8 l on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% u1 [8 o) ~3 O8 a7 b! g/ E Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
+ y# V' i, w0 v that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 d6 e) D( n% s But because of actions.

- @, u% E) Q( c. h0 P% J Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
& C. S. Y3 x8 L5 v* ~/ M' b0 | No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
2 z: l/ [8 @+ B, c5 ]' u& B! {8 k beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
- t( g2 I5 s8 }8 a& k$ r With the knowledge that
) g9 S8 i1 G8 l$ }$ ], I because of that one pebble
2 D! X/ F6 `- l! } The world will never be the same.

% a' }, \, H. ]7 U( J And then we have heaven …

3 e. b5 c  S3 p9 z, z9 h0 Z% x Ross Rosenberg
! x- c) a4 K, t. G! v 8/18/03