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.

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.
5 N7 C2 K; C) @* A$ w
Heaven
" w6 V6 w. y3 E- B# { 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
6 D% ?3 {3 r( F! D  [ But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
" e  T  o) _! G. Y( g Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
8 E  M  Z: U* V5 H9 l Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
5 C# l" v/ y5 |* N Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
2 o0 _# m9 m( t& q6 r
( |: L- N7 g' N) d8 O3 ]# c The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 k( D3 r- k; X0 ^& i By unleashing its unimagined power?
' g$ Y2 O) m; o  I1 b$ \2 Y8 A Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! J/ M5 `, `; l Creating karmic energy
, A$ j, K/ \) {3 S+ p Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
/ G1 H* o8 f' e- E8 p+ Y5 I Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
2 h4 @: k  Y' C2 s% T" r6 Z That who we are meant to be
' G; J0 }2 _4 w- P7 @ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
" |+ {5 t  d7 I3 h/ ~
4 X5 t8 ?3 A" K+ C4 l9 `: k It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ Q5 S3 c& q3 f( U* ^1 O Into the pond of life
: \7 S. l8 P+ C' ]1 t! O Creating ripples
1 e) E4 n# I1 }1 y* I2 o8 J# y that leave unique mark on our world
6 y% n( b, d$ I% Y& \  | Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
" \4 x  ~; U/ P* M# T But because of actions.
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. K( l8 N9 B9 ^0 |! K6 I: i Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
0 u/ `: n2 @3 S$ w0 i, J No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
8 `# U- `5 E4 t9 n$ X8 I, Q4 } Of those we touch.?

: Q! [. E; J3 o4 B3 {+ s And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
. I( o( I( p- U3 p We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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+ ~) D+ q) m( ^8 v2 I And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03