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.

/ t6 n2 @$ S5 f% ~9 s8 ]- f1 W 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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" J) N7 g! q1 h5 G; [( g8 U Heaven
" Z7 m' X  `4 g The pebble is worn smooth
, M4 M- Q. _* M9 G: h Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 T1 X/ a9 x, f" z+ t3 v* V  }- O9 L An accidental offspring of a boulder
2 |) x3 d5 h/ q* ^1 B( Y But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
) m/ O: k4 F9 j& o% } Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- S  i8 m' k1 P5 [0 r Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
% ]# e$ l! B0 ~' D  ^! `1 `( x Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
0 N1 a! d# ^$ b5 S0 n That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
4 |2 ^5 r+ G& I  g2 I% ] on a path into ourselves.
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- F0 Q% x8 k5 p. @* w It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
& J! T) u2 i1 ] Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
3 Y+ I: k* }7 f, U4 X not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- ~/ n! o7 z9 ^# D No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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2 z) J% H0 |* N1 M And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
' c* S" m( }8 \ because of that one pebble
9 T  v! @5 Q% g* e: F( e7 X The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

+ c: z- N; L% Z9 y; h* |6 y! `6 | Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03