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.

) [9 L$ e' |3 J% F1 G- }& k& J Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
& ^5 s8 G6 J; c- \6 Y Made small over time
: m8 b. X8 @# |8 \+ I. ?  [4 S A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ E7 p) m, X8 t2 | A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; F/ T/ r: `) n9 K An accidental offspring of a boulder
- R2 b/ \# x/ b& P5 I& ^) ]: c But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
% A6 |0 y4 p# \9 k( a6 |  Q% k Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
, O0 ~( a8 |0 P0 o4 z" B' Y Spiral outwards
. g$ o1 _6 G4 F6 y  b5 ^/ b' H; l/ o Moving far beyond itself.
% p) _* H$ O" z4 @7 g Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
" B, h5 F. @  U8 l( U  ]0 P Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 V/ Q6 B) ?7 _' j  K! i  g Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
3 A' `/ q, h2 k( C Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
0 l) [1 l5 r+ h; E! I( A/ i; j# n& g That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

, n% a7 j4 N: r5 T+ d. n It is true then:
Our everlasting future
2 `* W' y& h' p+ i Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
4 c8 I$ a$ ?/ o# P Creating ripples
; i: I5 a! q1 e" C5 G# Z( y that leave unique mark on our world
2 {7 A2 {* N4 }$ S+ y Not because of thoughts
5 J9 H0 q- A  _+ m4 e, }+ W not because of well meaning plans
1 A9 j, ^% h9 d+ p) @ But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 q9 j0 Q0 z: P( \) b+ s9 z( A% Z Changes the course of the lives
4 v$ A$ D/ d+ x& P" ?4 ]. ~ Of those we touch.?

; w; N/ r4 l% h  T- e And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
) H  P8 w# e8 K, C6 S) \* L because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

% Y/ Q9 a4 z7 m Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03