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
$ j4 \6 S% i1 X The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
# f9 A8 U5 ?( C1 i An accidental offspring of a boulder
% r- F3 @8 m% R' t  L" e But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
& H( q: a- L- @' Y( L3 s But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
, |' s% n( }, t. l4 N Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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) C1 T0 q' z5 ?7 K2 e The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
- i  ^: h2 K( x5 D7 d" T: ?* x Spiral outwards
! b' E+ b4 S' V' h Moving far beyond itself.
* f" w( ^: w6 ?5 C' w- t Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ u% S7 c5 f' D% R+ }6 }% l0 H By unleashing its unimagined power?
1 b6 ?6 ^3 ?' Z" [* A  O  ~' B Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) B5 D  r  U. y5 z- ~7 u) y Creating karmic energy
# g# \$ }, p* Q% y6 T: T/ M+ ~' v Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
4 D+ s1 ^, d; k9 c0 a2 t  o, K
3 w1 L+ R& C% O* I2 } 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.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
( h5 n" ]7 R9 @ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# j, c. q: k2 c" b Into the pond of life
3 W* Z6 K) N4 s* Q7 | Creating ripples
: Y# d* j  \+ ]. |  p that leave unique mark on our world
; i: V  t# M5 a1 b- B& A Not because of thoughts
9 Q0 L1 g4 ?0 {- s( X. ] not because of well meaning plans
9 E; V9 y$ G' o4 w% D But because of actions.

; V  `3 n! w4 O4 f; l" t Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  s/ `$ W6 X8 p# y0 Q1 @6 L3 J No matter how seemingly insignificant
% n( r4 d' T" S% c, m. d Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
' q3 ], P, }, }/ n( _ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
/ R; i' n) Q" h& W' ^* z. c8 o! N With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03