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.

  }$ j. V7 }+ E- q0 E9 Y; H/ O 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.
3 [; l  C2 k; P5 k% q$ t) u5 c
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
3 _9 M: r2 Y% E! \' z7 E 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.

/ M" l% b# w0 Z' L# k4 e The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
1 G+ f  p( ], T  H" h5 w1 E6 g1 ]2 N Spiral outwards
4 b5 R  r( q5 E( @2 o Moving far beyond itself.
0 e3 h  v& ?# k Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' B; ^- r# w3 n7 }2 r; Y" l
5 w" `1 h8 p# z# W The pebble creates its worth and meaning
7 q; q5 }. H7 }$ o; Z' w4 J By unleashing its unimagined power?
% p( i8 r6 I: u1 j( C: d7 }5 {+ a Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 s' Z4 \) l5 m& d Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
) u2 g! A% J, R1 t' w+ h
* m3 Y1 r) }+ Q+ A Aren't we all pebbles?
0 X) x$ a& w5 H  R7 ]' ]* R) } Feeling small and insignificant
" f  ?3 Y1 N& i, l7 b But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
/ w! l- c4 ^1 i0 u4 J, j on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
1 q0 `6 @  _( @* d) D Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
- G4 _5 J+ ~7 c$ y7 h2 i Into the pond of life
8 p; t. B2 X5 E2 p. a! N Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 ]) c! e# d2 N* s" ` Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
& e0 |4 i+ T; G2 z  F But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
& c5 q: Y9 E, D  O No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
( d4 D7 a/ Q8 h( i  Q0 g Of those we touch.?
/ `6 ]! W# Z" y9 C" I
0 J9 c! j7 i5 M6 ^7 O7 k9 s/ T And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
9 f: w5 Q; ]5 X6 b+ V+ i because of that one pebble
5 g) e% {* R& g7 Z7 w% i' r% e* R The world will never be the same.
8 ]" d) \: \/ l; A- J2 S. c- |
  l2 n1 J8 s' i% |* p/ P5 J And then we have heaven …

% [5 u0 g3 Y  T Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03