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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+ L1 ]- g- f* \! j: k' u$ j 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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1 e& A) e6 s, |0 o; R+ p Heaven
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
0 Q" J4 k/ ]6 }0 T5 }6 J9 X1 | But just a very small stone.

- t# m: n: X+ Q9 H7 K. r: i 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.

! `/ Z: h& o! s. K7 v3 s3 u The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 @% ~- d0 z" [- A9 ^0 [" U Spiral outwards
+ g3 D' d. S+ {) \% E Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
1 C+ w# m% X' p5 C6 n Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
) ?$ P4 m* u4 n  W
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' b. k2 n( ^* R By unleashing its unimagined power?
# \, ~: h" c4 @8 N% F Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) z6 ~& t7 b4 r& c. L Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
  w. f, L0 {4 f, ^+ a Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
' b, z4 o- F* u& w. s6 ^- | on a path into ourselves.

! P, n* G5 _' p( S/ t It is true then:
Our everlasting future
8 @& B( Z8 G% y2 p Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' a* p" D( m* g Into the pond of life
. G7 P" a: m3 i/ u Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
+ T1 q% j8 [7 S3 F3 S But because of actions.

. C* I( m+ M( V& I$ X( K/ y Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
! l1 Z7 e$ W" Z8 ]$ _; A Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
* r4 j% y- S5 I) l6 u7 N beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
, \/ _7 i; `% F The world will never be the same.
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+ D, n# F6 y. Q# x And then we have heaven …

8 j0 T* e" K/ ^ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03