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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: m" _; ^; w1 O9 k' R, Q3 E" V 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 Y2 a0 p# V0 o6 C- k. U7 B The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
; `) m1 J. I! ~5 ~% y9 y5 | A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
" G3 X) ~# ?, \2 M9 C
3 q" R5 v' F# D9 L5 g' w5 K The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
; U( m, I8 l, W9 d% x9 r Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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- v! t% O" _3 U0 m The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- e5 t6 i, h6 A Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
- W# q- P. l  X4 f) ` Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
! w- G4 O! l$ `& Y  }0 ^ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
1 w. B1 s5 \3 K, T7 }. O( \ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
. v+ h3 ]7 H5 `& C8 Y/ y Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
: [/ Z0 o! b% l* ]$ E Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
- S* @$ E7 l! y9 o; B: B6 y. d- F not because of well meaning plans
6 o  d' z9 b6 V+ K0 z" L1 J But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
5 ]7 T8 `' T9 L/ W4 L No matter how seemingly insignificant
. f& a+ m/ Z7 S Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

7 u, w- T4 U; ?  U8 }0 C And when the icy winds of death
; C( b+ c" n& W% \( O beckon our lasting attention
% A+ g) V" h* {+ o+ E2 H( c; e We will gently leave this life
9 L$ P, b: b7 @/ z; i7 o- I With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03