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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' B1 b8 {& @! i4 c- {( y 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.

7 s# N( H5 G8 V1 W+ M Heaven
! y$ x' u( C* z The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
8 F0 c5 w2 k6 e& S) P3 ` 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.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 S" M# ^+ a, ]; e: b: R& n But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
! Q4 Y1 ]/ O) ?8 C Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
! Y! }/ K; k1 L7 k+ { Gently affecting everything in its wake
; U1 t9 ~5 T3 g: w7 U: }' h. r  \ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

+ M$ o* T+ X4 A; U; e" ^; ^6 h) | The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

2 k3 H& |2 B+ r7 X& u Aren't we all pebbles?
$ l% [7 N5 O; o' ^: s Feeling small and insignificant
- D+ ~* q7 W0 _0 v2 N% l3 i But ultimately recognizing
* G) L3 m4 v  H2 p- t2 | That who we are meant to be
  _; v; @8 Z* ?4 r0 F, r" o Can never be measured in isolation
- ?& @; r' v* l+ ?9 \+ v on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
, J+ m+ e- i8 N& j% Z+ H Our everlasting future
/ ^. O9 H- v7 P Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. j$ O5 g1 u7 R/ P, r2 _0 @. W3 H Into the pond of life
$ h  _, y7 \  F7 N( m2 p% G Creating ripples
* z+ h, R& w7 @. G# T that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
3 ]* r0 F1 d6 f1 t* z But because of actions.
1 ^1 z& H( E) L6 T  u
. _8 H. @/ V8 w; i Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
8 |7 x* k1 a, J+ g- F. s No matter how seemingly insignificant
# [: t2 u2 I$ I  \9 u/ k$ L& i Changes the course of the lives
* p% w6 B; G9 H$ Z2 u. r& r& o6 m Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
! G& E' b" y4 T" {' F0 S- y4 W With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
" b! X2 o* c; A The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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* |6 i3 I) ?2 y' L# b) I5 @ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03