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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$ G/ f$ O5 i) W* r' M Heaven
; S, E: T2 w! e, j7 t' q' _ The pebble is worn smooth
8 a, B" e% S; F" y Made small over time
+ N$ ~) w. T( j1 { 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
/ I3 f3 `: A3 a0 D But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. _1 }3 H' O7 {7 C5 y Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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- Y* |( k; n1 ?' a! ^0 {+ L The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# x9 u& O7 L& K# i* t, N- M Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
4 L' Z/ {$ }+ G0 o9 ] Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ w: v) T! x2 f' q) B7 r5 | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
/ p) ^* W' {6 d8 E4 P Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 f1 x6 ~% w) H# Q$ @# B# i Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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6 K. v' I2 }* s6 B3 Y# j Aren't we all pebbles?
3 m+ a" \  Y# X2 o: S Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
! |9 ]8 b. k9 d7 X That who we are meant to be
3 ^9 v4 Q1 o( v' ? Can never be measured in isolation
+ w* V" h* ~4 I( ^ on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
) f: R/ g; X$ B% k7 d( p Our everlasting future
0 P# n5 Z6 l0 F5 R& {* l; R: ` Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
1 i4 V, @7 A' L$ X. z5 \/ ` that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
+ S1 L' K3 ~8 |, X. h. D/ h3 W  Z not because of well meaning plans
. _4 Q1 a( R3 N& r7 _) t( }8 T) h  [! N But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
. o0 C5 e1 O: e5 ? Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
# X+ e' ~7 T1 M# ?3 ]0 B& N- l beckon our lasting attention
; K8 K6 J! _- K. V) U4 C; b We will gently leave this life
+ S$ T; D" I4 F6 W2 Q% Q With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
# V+ m2 ]( |( T, `5 h
And then we have heaven …
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5 a: L1 E' i3 Z$ t Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03