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.

2 Y3 {7 P$ W& v' g Heaven
/ u" z, Q5 D6 J5 Z$ C5 _* V The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
' N0 K2 H- c$ O  X& v 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.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% w. I5 Y4 a8 y0 W Its insignificance is transformed
) E# g7 t, ]1 W- F7 C9 h( r Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

  c! ?5 R% E* m' J: Q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
5 M- J; j) ?3 k Spiral outwards
  d3 \: \. \5 M# G; t/ q Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
" r* d3 [1 \( T! M# O% K Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

. J  \$ @+ E$ u The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
; z: O  O( v' m8 Z" Q+ ~, y5 W Into a dueling force of action and reaction
* F; M3 B1 ?. f$ j Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
1 U7 M$ _, {  u9 w But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
, z4 Q% z1 d$ m/ k Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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( T; I$ R& U+ ^2 z. r  \# C It is true then:
7 U, D' T5 f5 K7 P' F7 Z* Q Our everlasting future
0 P0 w5 t- @  r4 ^, _0 x Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
, \' U5 b! K/ N Creating ripples
5 F- ^* s. R+ W/ V$ b' s that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
$ L) |0 Z0 m6 f( J9 R not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

4 I( X" i# U) e Our life's prayers our answered
8 C* p4 i! z+ W! g5 u' p Because even the smallest pebble
- [$ H+ B( Y+ e No matter how seemingly insignificant
. l) s3 j4 M- e Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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2 d# S/ c% h9 E- b. R And when the icy winds of death
# u& d" p/ f* g: B$ F beckon our lasting attention
# T" Q* ]' Z8 {# N We will gently leave this life
2 g7 p  G- s  Y& T- Q 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 …
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Ross Rosenberg
) t0 w# q% E3 I, O 8/18/03