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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
# L) R4 ~- R% X; w0 n. d" { Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 G, T# Q& H! U) s* J: u/ o A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 i& S4 N8 R! E, t An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 [& V  k% a0 u9 K; i* L But just a very small stone.

: T) F$ G( T% }# J8 J5 M. F+ @2 j' _( I The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 A+ N& @0 B6 l) j: B* N& t$ T But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 {3 F* q7 Y3 z Its insignificance is transformed
2 @  S; P7 l3 Y' N! d9 ~ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

( J: G% B: A% ]4 J/ Q( a  k$ g The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ a- e) |0 h) @& c! k, [) V Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
6 O2 O. C) J! c3 u& ]/ z/ U( N Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& ^0 {7 @* e+ |9 q; Z1 f By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 h- o- ?0 C& N7 i4 n Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
# _7 J& i* Y8 `9 G3 @9 W Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
* a+ Q$ V- |# |2 x Feeling small and insignificant
) Z9 y' b6 U) N5 \/ Q# U But ultimately recognizing
/ v& C5 ]& W  u8 ~# y/ S; U That who we are meant to be
& K3 a, z4 U: l3 Y; [% h  d Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
4 ?7 e6 K6 c- b8 J" h- Z3 S Our everlasting future
, y! F4 b, H9 I# Z# l# U0 T Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ L0 C* G! c9 P+ T- ?. S8 [ Into the pond of life
9 k3 L8 ]  r' H5 J% K Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
# V% R. N& \: W- w: E not because of well meaning plans
/ H5 x" U% X* n% T But because of actions.
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: L7 A# b% _; I, R9 | Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  g/ y3 `' f  [& |; j: ~' M0 l4 F# | No matter how seemingly insignificant
, P$ o' r3 p9 U Changes the course of the lives
1 o; X% S( T% J4 D' ?8 t! t/ | Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
. z8 i: X! M8 C) d7 x beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
7 B4 x' \  Y+ S% A With the knowledge that
' N& U6 g& j" e1 D/ u2 S: S because of that one pebble
% o& h6 O0 s9 r$ G  F0 U8 q The world will never be the same.

0 {) p& H! x4 W And then we have heaven …

( m6 V) H. s& U; U. \  Q3 s Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03