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.

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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 |: I, f4 Z9 p8 @  Z* G! Q! d A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
, L( u; s! N& ? But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
* z. e$ P% N$ @  }) f Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ U: P1 G4 A( @5 I But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
" G5 O/ Y/ A: p. f# b4 U4 d- K Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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: X0 t3 `5 E+ e3 \1 I6 q' R The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# g) [% x9 i2 l# B0 {1 u. f+ I Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
) l! I, y8 \4 J: P' o3 \! e- K2 e* g Gently affecting everything in its wake
1 s  _. ]) D8 b Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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" l% o; g, I5 Y9 g0 \5 |5 r The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# f4 z/ U( r) P% ]% R By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" }5 v) S" u5 H3 s& b: G  w8 o Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
4 Z4 T7 o6 x! `+ u$ x( i Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
: ]0 y0 V  h) r0 N6 S7 A That who we are meant to be
3 z, z' c6 U# P/ E& ^* W9 i# p Can never be measured in isolation
% g8 A* H$ z* F3 C- G on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
8 t1 J1 I/ x7 E" [) o7 I; T5 R. H Our everlasting future
9 j& q2 J0 d: O Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
% f% D  F: |1 d9 [0 x Creating ripples
. a; u+ F7 m; V& b# s  M- E that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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: W+ L. ~9 G2 G9 d Our life's prayers our answered
" ~; V/ X7 a! J* f0 p Because even the smallest pebble
$ Q% z4 Q7 _- E7 n! K* w( s No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
6 {0 G' {  B  |6 k3 c Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
6 y. d. T4 D7 ~6 n7 b/ w; t2 j0 H The world will never be the same.

* [" w& u# p3 z And then we have heaven …
5 x1 b+ u, Y. Z6 H4 u5 M
& Z* S1 A9 C6 K- ?2 z Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03