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.

3 T! _7 N8 H! Q: ^- w9 C 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.
6 @/ A6 M5 @: l! m/ y4 z
0 `' z/ p' J2 \; m% p Heaven
4 s5 h/ M' R  @- H  | The pebble is worn smooth
' s1 }8 [# z+ C& I9 T Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
/ B5 \% w* N$ J  | 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
6 n/ L6 }4 \& U; Y) u& \" l Its insignificance is transformed
9 U* ^% J6 F; {+ i" q, Z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
. G$ N2 E7 R# `, }9 Q
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
' i) q9 _+ K/ `  u( \: x. q Moving far beyond itself.
1 k: g. W5 ~) a9 g Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
+ U& P. W. }2 n
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
/ a9 _$ _& T% C# [ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

7 D; r8 X) ?: a Aren't we all pebbles?
" J9 X6 P2 J$ W2 D) H Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
- H/ I1 h. y( K. _( O on a path into ourselves.

- F. ]+ O% L' u" X( j$ e& d: K It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
* h% a* d+ B  c+ _+ g Creating ripples
; [( A- Y/ y) W6 e( Z that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
- w& ~0 |$ Q7 j& N But because of actions.
1 R) B- J) n% ~, G: t. O
Our life's prayers our answered
/ L* P" }1 M) q7 {1 s: \4 k4 w Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

+ G$ e: u, T) [; D. } And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
5 y; q/ b5 ~$ ?( ]& G1 N' I because of that one pebble
& z4 d/ v6 V) U+ L The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
* j, t2 K( u  q/ z  l
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03