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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! D3 u) G: v7 X Heaven
7 J. E; E& w( H9 c7 m The pebble is worn smooth
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
But just a very small stone.
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; ~  `6 U- w0 [2 S9 l The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
) M9 w$ v: w( a- P( n* f3 K But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* J3 U  P1 e/ S1 ?. ?% N) H) H Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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  |$ \6 G: h- j The instant the pebble kisses the pond
* c; s7 T( k4 M  U0 Z0 y6 H Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
: Y  O0 q8 _* c! O4 C& ?  ~1 u Moving far beyond itself.
9 S0 b1 k. q6 O# z Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
% t: x0 V6 T8 a: \. L0 j# w Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

1 K: P* q, b1 ? Aren't we all pebbles?
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.

1 f) G" J8 B8 y5 F9 E% m It is true then:
Our everlasting future
9 f) ]2 Z9 q1 n Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

  F: e1 V4 G. b Our life's prayers our answered
; V3 k9 N6 h/ T! J Because even the smallest pebble
5 Y4 d; C( c7 _) p; A( P! J( [ No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 J, Q/ s  v3 q, A6 h* V Changes the course of the lives
; N8 m! W% Q' L0 |# R$ L* e2 u/ f# S( g Of those we touch.?

8 k9 B6 I& N. ?3 j% H And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
0 l; g5 M. x4 l: d# E We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
3 i( L+ F% t7 d because of that one pebble
  |: |" B$ q0 v The world will never be the same.

* t9 f$ ~- p7 q6 t- J5 R2 A And then we have heaven …
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3 x" v# v* z5 ?( u8 p% V Ross Rosenberg
0 ?  j% N9 Z9 W. n: N) r4 L- D 8/18/03