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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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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
) k0 q9 R) g1 k5 f/ Z( y- c8 o A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
/ o- y+ {- }9 p! b% W An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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4 B& g* y- D) P9 \ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 @7 J9 J; `& F. r) V# `" h# t6 o* b But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* w- ^9 o( _, w- F. }3 l7 h5 b Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

$ X; a, x& o1 c1 B& O; V# F+ u The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
' O% }  v7 v$ G" s3 v Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

; [" k% \- I* m5 Q/ m7 i" N6 D 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.

/ e2 D. j( s6 \ Aren't we all pebbles?
" C4 ?; d7 l: M5 h) n Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
; X1 e5 L1 @8 q& ? That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
2 Q$ p. x0 s; h" H* G8 w on a path into ourselves.
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4 n( U+ W0 H+ m$ V3 Q5 f; n; ]8 X6 G It is true then:
7 V6 V9 `2 S) D Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# Q1 p- r9 g$ ^  b Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 }# C" g' @. e+ Q Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
5 q9 a% j% m0 k3 ^+ \% g0 b But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
/ |" N1 p$ m" C* A3 h* X2 \* ? Because even the smallest pebble
  s6 z1 G2 t" r! d! h5 D No matter how seemingly insignificant
, o# q( s7 W; I Changes the course of the lives
2 l* k1 x% w: ^5 V, _7 h0 R! ~' n- ~8 [0 O Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
& p7 Z' v( n# q: D. V1 k' r) Z beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
( J: h% ?8 H8 D5 y: { With the knowledge that
7 q! c! p1 R# }4 U8 | because of that one pebble
  C+ p; P4 K, N0 D The world will never be the same.
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. ]8 a. e1 t5 z2 c# }4 C And then we have heaven …

# A6 h/ f! h/ u; R& V" U! | Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03