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.

8 s3 `+ M" Y% v! m 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.

Heaven
) A5 K# {6 L! g7 q8 n The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
" T# ~. m& Q$ o3 T2 M A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* O* K! r3 s6 h5 Z0 j2 j A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

4 P0 m1 p' Z' Y( ?$ F/ B The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 K- w! x4 t, D) k: u1 @- L But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- L3 m- y, ]& g  Z2 f! X8 N" _ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ x1 {# V( l! ]. x+ d% d2 ~
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
9 m% T$ [, y: \/ \5 F" r Spiral outwards
: |: z/ C# R/ M3 ?! u, b+ Z" j Moving far beyond itself.
2 K3 j: C5 m2 z Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
) d1 Y6 k( p; j, D! f+ o, @0 K
9 N5 X$ h9 u' D; y( Y1 \: o. ` The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
. Z- V$ B: i* W% N2 f, S; H Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

. [' Y1 g& a3 V. U4 T. B% u& U Aren't we all pebbles?
( R5 ]8 m* t5 g! B Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
5 z4 r+ ~+ n# \' ?3 a6 F/ c5 U: K6 I on a path into ourselves.
) N; P) e6 s. W% x
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
5 m) Q# n2 H- Y! c, @7 M# G Creating ripples
7 J' P" v7 x3 r+ Q# _, Q that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
  |6 E9 w/ q- y4 N, |* B5 d
& y8 L' T7 L# F. R, W Our life's prayers our answered
5 b2 E5 N3 Y" Z5 N) i Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
' R2 H& }9 _. B" c& G
7 B7 N$ B9 b9 _' S& w And when the icy winds of death
6 S! b6 U) l. m( g) |/ F( {, @ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
9 C% b& `/ r, K6 n+ @* n: D With the knowledge that
+ d2 _3 h) O2 V; K because of that one pebble
$ V2 ]- l" T& g& j* R1 b: J8 S( L7 [ The world will never be the same.
; p! Q. N/ k( L$ e% G* a
And then we have heaven …
4 u1 V# }' L( m, e$ f
* T- @( B7 s/ X8 q: T- p Ross Rosenberg
: @: I, a7 c9 ~( l3 [6 _ 8/18/03