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.

( ]& Q* J0 s! N! u2 [( O0 r7 C 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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; y7 ?5 B  y: g" G! F8 i Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
  P" r2 _3 _* w7 \ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
  c& k4 a( {/ E An accidental offspring of a boulder
" `( Q( A: P+ f" {" r! O But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
+ C2 f% r. y% C, |0 b3 b5 q5 o! X Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
; J' M: {6 r) j: d( e( @( M* g5 \3 U/ T Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

( a' @. G9 B' d( p$ f) t1 w The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ O5 v( p& D, e Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
; y: `- u6 T8 x- w Moving far beyond itself.
9 S" j9 X  t# E Gently affecting everything in its wake
1 H- y+ E1 c% g Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
* `/ d9 u& H4 I0 c: V/ @ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

: _2 X! _& u# T3 l* z3 y; ` Aren't we all pebbles?
* z4 |$ ~2 J" _$ e' s3 @ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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& R9 C; B) ]# L7 z9 u; B. i5 { It is true then:
% K0 s5 C# [: H5 ` Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. x) ^8 x# @% P8 q8 |# | Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
/ ?. y' i9 Y/ p7 x$ M) P" S Not because of thoughts
1 U* s9 @9 ~6 A& n( E3 }5 J not because of well meaning plans
% k3 h3 D  _/ s+ y8 `! v- |7 j  W But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

. k. e0 t- U2 {4 H8 ~: f And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
+ B$ D; w; A$ J7 | We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03