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.

$ H( e; p. Y9 E 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.
$ h0 Z& h3 A% j/ D
Heaven
; p3 M0 Y  [; P2 [% x; K The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 d' }. l) ^" r' Q1 I2 j( } An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
* H6 n  p/ w' @, j0 f+ M Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
1 \7 e" J' M; g Its insignificance is transformed
, c* ~) z' u8 ~' K Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
" r! E/ K# O* h$ _% K Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ d3 `0 d) M1 ]4 [  x2 w' P- h Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

$ Y' Z7 y, |+ }5 @) H9 ?) Q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' P; D2 d; v3 n7 i7 z By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
3 x4 S9 l/ w! H& s; S Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
& R& u7 B  T/ C+ p, U4 g
Aren't we all pebbles?
) w7 c2 h$ e& d2 }6 Z5 p$ A6 Q" @ Feeling small and insignificant
( t& c( O. z7 o But ultimately recognizing
4 O# p1 y7 @9 E That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
' h1 }; @! E4 J# D& p on a path into ourselves.

7 F) L: {% w  {) P It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
- d8 G! S1 F; m4 q7 B) z3 z' H Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
4 Q- W% p1 C$ g* O" J Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
8 w% v9 s! I* v But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
0 O% K4 P  K" l, C% j No matter how seemingly insignificant
- m  y1 X  Q- t; M& e; y Changes the course of the lives
9 p8 f2 T( I' R( h Of those we touch.?
7 _& {/ {6 i2 B2 D4 I
  A! q; r5 A4 Q$ H5 G; v And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
* |( \% p+ v8 L: g8 C" e0 T: ~# G because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

0 O" E" [0 k; j* k- E8 n And then we have heaven …
- N: |, [0 L4 T( V" |! ^
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03