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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Heaven
9 y- O: J9 d1 B8 v9 ^8 Q0 J The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' b0 o2 c, K2 p; I# Q( m6 E) W A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ F1 c! {* o* o* v! B1 D4 {  _  y! @ An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 V0 @& ~' R  s% _ But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
3 t' n6 `" S2 a% i4 Z- e$ ` Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
# K- I; V6 K; w, w8 ` Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

" C5 C, E2 d2 b; |5 ~8 T# K The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! E9 T% e2 [* M. P+ |% q Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* y2 ~- V. C5 P; e3 ~ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
* ^( f: i5 f. S! B$ Z By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
1 k) ~, S, K8 N2 F" Z: I Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
2 \* C7 y  X6 U5 @# ~ Feeling small and insignificant
1 k; D* h# _+ k. F9 a2 J# a6 U But ultimately recognizing
" p8 G. c% K6 W4 `. m That who we are meant to be
, Z  w( F$ T( o) A# X3 U9 O9 X Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
! p) r( n" w% u1 Z Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
% f5 d! q: l* s" c( q: o Not because of thoughts
1 _- L$ o9 B9 i# n: e2 g8 i not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 d1 B; E* t. ?- F" H No matter how seemingly insignificant
  K% ?$ E' H5 N2 Z+ I Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
* U% |: W. J- D1 p" y. [2 C9 ^ We will gently leave this life
0 Y3 F5 Z  K' I( f5 n With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
  T  H% ^6 Q3 v4 M, [! e The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03