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
. V; J2 K# o4 Y( n, g1 B The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
$ i2 @  Z8 W* ]6 E A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( d9 o; a! g' L, R An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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1 J% v, j/ n0 o& L, j The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
, Y' b) l3 B% a+ E  q) r But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
4 T) O. U' S0 K* y" d Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 N* N$ u# o  I3 r9 J Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
, M4 u1 Z# ]4 B( J8 E6 B Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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& k) \7 g' F3 f/ _ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ S8 V8 d4 I/ e* f By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
3 t7 m. J$ e% B1 D5 e( N. z) t Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
0 D2 x4 U. |, b4 q* K( ^ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
. f; ]; N$ S7 E7 M: k. B3 p Can never be measured in isolation
: _* X5 |; P6 Z; S. B0 x on a path into ourselves.
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2 G- v: g" t' [; s: [' h It is true then:
# _5 j2 p, U& M: b+ _ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 v1 P0 I3 P$ \! d( n Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
- k5 L/ l2 L1 m+ u Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 {! \2 e+ [3 G# M9 D But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- C# T" f% q1 ^. c No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
2 b. R) W# [2 |" z. Y Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; J2 Z+ C; U5 \9 B% A We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
3 V" r% a7 R& y The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

/ ~  o9 J7 Z3 k5 U! r0 O Ross Rosenberg
" J" ~7 h! o7 C0 K 8/18/03