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.

6 N/ m0 c* q9 e* H4 h Heaven
7 h9 ]1 b9 E# A The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( y7 V+ ]' J- j) e) o An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

/ W1 Q% m) R. V8 ?) Z" V6 G The pebble's place in our world
8 N' q+ T) O0 o' R) j/ P0 A Is neither understood nor appreciated
8 n2 P" g( k  q5 g& S  s But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
# T3 [5 D0 X) L  G" W Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
  |6 n6 M, X+ e Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
. O: K# O1 O4 M- a) x Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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* _/ `4 W, @  A The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
% N: X# r. W2 a) J Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 c, K( M, P( `; c: ?$ d Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
4 d  i* F+ O" U0 T
Aren't we all pebbles?
$ W' @) X( u5 e! t2 u Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
9 B7 b* K4 n. p1 h Can never be measured in isolation
# ^! e2 T7 `/ n3 K+ i5 M: { on a path into ourselves.

% U  ~7 E# b0 t/ ~ It is true then:
9 A% [6 \# P+ }) V+ i1 ` Our everlasting future
: v6 X$ P! u/ d Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ L! F  G; e1 K- v Into the pond of life
( U: Q" D# o) U  \7 z' A% f Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; G, ~  @2 l  `% W7 t0 M Not because of thoughts
# i9 r9 L) W5 k: g9 m not because of well meaning plans
& \2 q+ n* X9 ]2 }& S But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
( W: ^7 Q3 D5 u3 W7 d No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
# }* ?: x6 S" }1 F Of those we touch.?
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4 g2 G* F) E8 P; o And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
4 W( X  x1 `# B  g$ P We will gently leave this life
7 G# y) E8 C3 B6 X With the knowledge that
% w5 O! r& P4 j( ^9 y because of that one pebble
0 S0 A6 D5 y" n! R5 r$ F The world will never be the same.

1 V/ p+ q5 C% h% K& {  N And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
" i' f& x, k) \0 r0 p; A8 b 8/18/03