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.
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Heaven
' o6 J- G9 W5 i The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 y% |; w, w1 n2 ^. I2 u  N9 @1 M An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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3 d: K' w7 D* A5 }- m. e The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
; \3 e9 z' k! O# r# P But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: ]$ F+ \! i  n6 X Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

2 S7 a" O8 o( M The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
  t  ?8 V2 [# }( }1 P2 [  f$ p7 \ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
) E$ J3 z6 u$ \6 T. q Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
5 W9 b3 C# k3 s) d4 p$ L/ L/ @ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
* X6 V* F9 M; v6 s But ultimately recognizing
! Z: x- H+ h$ f4 j. r That who we are meant to be
4 o  w7 t$ R0 j, `: @  |$ H3 p Can never be measured in isolation
) f5 q- V% i9 s8 Y; v; U8 U  @& v on a path into ourselves.
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* e. \5 ?. n! k# P8 |" {) I+ k! C8 d9 O It is true then:
( c3 G) V4 {* A+ N4 y" o) j Our everlasting future
! H; I8 p' x4 Z) k# ` Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
( s; ?* l, q7 q1 h, F that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
( h4 J+ h8 h" _5 K; d not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
. M8 b' N5 ?2 o% V Changes the course of the lives
. y  y8 _% B, A( L# o( y Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
$ m( ]* u1 j6 c. @ We will gently leave this life
& O" B# W% b6 p With the knowledge that
4 S3 y2 `/ ]; U2 s+ L1 C  z0 R0 D because of that one pebble
8 r: b- A2 I9 s) S& D6 `+ n$ q: i: [ The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03