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.

, A: o; P5 W# N 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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5 b/ g$ w; Z" m/ l: k Heaven
. i1 ~% w+ U6 }, r 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 Y9 {" ]% G2 M* M An accidental offspring of a boulder
# W. l; G# l& P( `6 N; e$ \ 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
3 U# b( Q9 y7 ^& j Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
6 D9 M, a4 y$ T
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ b: S0 t) i6 J0 D$ d7 }1 G Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
7 A: B! |, z# x" j9 u" ` Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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# T  s" F& R' r/ u) u5 b The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ ?+ o6 k0 N6 A* l5 A8 c( Z By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- L3 K2 E$ a2 n Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
: }; z- f7 O: o$ _5 p! B Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
9 B; g$ z' }. p Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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4 [( L0 ^: Z$ X It is true then:
Our everlasting future
6 M1 N( |6 C* g* w" e; G/ y8 j Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 I, s) \+ T. l1 K/ M Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& N" C* ~: _6 N0 N$ V1 S not because of well meaning plans
2 T/ n6 S' r+ J0 h* u But because of actions.
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" U) {+ ?3 B) l Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
/ \' v( K( S4 @% h% R/ d2 r: b No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
& [2 o8 S# T- K Of those we touch.?
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  O7 Q/ P  j5 T And when the icy winds of death
1 y, ]; [% ^# W2 a beckon our lasting attention
! T# k# D8 Z: J' ^7 k We will gently leave this life
# v% |# u4 h) s# u! U. x% } With the knowledge that
" d) z: P) s% E6 c9 o* \9 \1 B because of that one pebble
' o+ A- Z3 o. {, b6 U7 v' M# f The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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0 L8 a; x% @8 u& Z7 P Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03