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.

% K5 u/ B7 ^. H! { 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.

) u% ?7 k6 ?9 s& I' J, t, z: ? Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
$ Q% {: }7 j3 `0 k3 S Made small over time
$ K2 y3 U+ ^/ A& n2 h7 B1 M 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.
6 [! j( e/ O3 A( x1 F
The pebble's place in our world
, L# q9 O* c; ]8 h$ z" G Is neither understood nor appreciated
) L7 o1 [0 n  O% X( _" q1 D( d8 G But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
. V; S. Z% z6 I Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
9 }  S3 Q6 w6 p Spiral outwards
9 |( N* c) o. |) W Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
9 g/ ^: J- j( ?: h By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 Z* e( |# D! o) P* i& ?; t Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 q/ G; Z3 {; J* p Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
# z2 i2 Z, G& r, a! L- i9 G" x
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
7 S! {( I8 Z: ?9 u' k0 C: ~ But ultimately recognizing
+ P* s$ x, n; T; C5 _: d) S/ e" T& n That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
# ^8 Y. L- D- `1 n+ b on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
7 b* h1 Z% o8 S) x1 w- i6 m! o3 y Our everlasting future
' m# m, D9 L; n0 t4 l0 L Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
# N6 L' H) t" m% m8 M that leave unique mark on our world
; Q" \  w1 S9 P6 V7 d* {  Z Not because of thoughts
0 E! d. I* o9 @3 S1 z3 ~ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
) l! U7 x) H2 @& Q Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
7 K5 Z. T  s) r* ^. J2 X4 X. ^ Of those we touch.?
7 N- ^+ C2 L6 T: B
And when the icy winds of death
- m$ ~6 `/ z. P; V) A beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

8 t+ Q. K. B5 f( Q4 I! Z9 _ And then we have heaven …
! [" S; Y' m8 D) U5 F* P7 G
0 p$ v6 a4 Y5 f) v0 s) j Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03