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.

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.
1 J- o& M6 C  ?4 R9 d/ s
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
8 V2 l* N7 p1 w* X& X2 z- P; p Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
; L( `( s* _8 R7 O1 R But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
! n7 \! c- v+ r% _$ h, u9 c; l Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
/ V3 v' j; @& K) q# c Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
. k+ ~( C+ [1 E8 ? Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% C9 U0 T6 Q. X3 u" x8 b% C# G By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
/ V+ z9 Y5 t) }3 _  v Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
# h  H/ H5 N6 C: d! [' G# y
Aren't we all pebbles?
( t  d1 i) @0 w+ I$ U4 v) Y 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.
: J4 j& W7 R4 I0 v; m8 F
- g# o$ ^7 z: A+ ~! u It is true then:
  T8 s( d( W( ^# N5 j Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 U" T8 M" {/ z. C Into the pond of life
) S3 P- e$ }; j$ S9 N" ?5 ? Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
7 L4 ], p$ y6 f9 D3 ` not because of well meaning plans
1 v% N2 g3 K. x$ n* M+ N1 n6 d But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
; u" \) `$ D( K% u+ r$ o No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
* w% o7 F6 x8 R/ S2 s7 s; }3 y Of those we touch.?
" x- R5 b0 C4 n; }+ U
+ i7 K, Z. e6 F/ B4 I* Z And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, Y- u3 |3 P4 c$ o: Q+ I6 w We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
4 r9 ?. |$ Z# t# @- z The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03