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
( ?6 u2 y- K8 ~! w5 l6 @' N The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
' O5 }) Z/ Z! M! ]. V, `8 ?  {% E( W A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 t6 r8 j. J  {8 g5 C But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 x/ p1 W! \8 R9 U7 s2 w Its insignificance is transformed
2 N5 b" T7 o& W6 D8 V3 C- s: N Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

1 t" t7 v9 a+ [" W9 \ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
" S9 E+ ^6 s5 @. B/ ~: a Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
& y+ c0 ]; R0 S& q' M, o3 D! a Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
0 v7 E4 z/ H$ l# i) u) h2 k Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

/ p: }- R9 X  F' w/ ] Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
( E& w+ W) I* J But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
( k$ g# O5 `& L2 h1 | Can never be measured in isolation
7 n9 g; W8 d0 t6 b9 d3 l/ ?- o+ F on a path into ourselves.
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  H9 `8 B  w) Z2 C) K* r It is true then:
; c$ B- a1 N5 D. D. D+ [ Our everlasting future
5 h+ `$ J1 v) o1 y9 e: {' ?! N, z Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
5 B' J6 Z, E0 ^; `2 M0 u Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
* y6 ]; G) B" v* Q2 G+ p! w: i not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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; @6 X8 T4 R9 F$ N* u+ @ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 G5 z' _9 s/ @8 _& Y+ y Changes the course of the lives
1 x7 q1 K9 y. s7 f Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
/ V- D' ?8 z+ F4 W- [ With the knowledge that
" o2 d) z4 _! d" S9 t( a8 g because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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% D1 _. B% v! q/ D And then we have heaven …

- }- \8 H1 u' L7 o; L) s Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03