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.
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Heaven
5 s" }) y$ A. E8 N) i' X9 M7 L The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
3 N+ }- H: h3 L9 a  n, F1 _ 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.

$ U+ P' C1 r* u% q- { The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 ?. ^& W" R7 U& F; | But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
3 I# |! b; [" I Its insignificance is transformed
# c2 Y0 L7 ]' q( X  H+ a Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
+ Q- [% U; D( ~; H5 B6 J6 Z# \' @ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 h; F$ L% d( n Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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! O$ c/ E: m* N/ ^/ v Aren't we all pebbles?
/ j' r: `0 @. Y Feeling small and insignificant
' D' N' X2 Q4 y; {/ N% V But ultimately recognizing
9 L7 q& E; H5 l7 T; P That who we are meant to be
: e  K; ^* Z' q+ `# C Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
" N/ Y/ q7 I& K( [( z Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
7 q' \, x$ N; `- f3 W that leave unique mark on our world
/ K" [* k, \& u% o8 g* L' K Not because of thoughts
5 G/ X! B+ p% [4 ]/ i& T( R( g& u- W not because of well meaning plans
8 W( z% r$ I& R9 t But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

+ c! Q  {( |) [: A: o And when the icy winds of death
7 `+ G7 |- H0 M1 X; K beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
1 u5 T# A/ f) c8 u6 k, F! R because of that one pebble
$ u# I6 v1 P+ B6 g The world will never be the same.
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: x0 t  A! b3 ]. \ And then we have heaven …
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; L6 x; w% n4 B2 ?5 O Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03