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
) N( L7 K0 o8 d" ~- A. O4 ? Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ \( J8 ?+ b; Y$ p A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
! ?/ Y- G& L) E5 d But just a very small stone.
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, `# ]9 W7 J4 B2 \- ?! U! o0 S" k) v) ^ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
$ b. _1 U8 ^, C5 m Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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" ?1 n. }$ i/ F! X6 O/ |. { The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# o' k9 W, t% V/ s4 R- d Its signature of concentric ripples
7 _! B' s4 Q6 _3 N/ K Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
- |9 Q4 O. \, S" A Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
; ~, |% p5 R) N# H' N Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
8 s6 p3 L3 z" v7 x! t* `2 x* e  S Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
. U* m- Y  O+ \4 p' ~1 K% @% J. s That who we are meant to be
) p: `9 \6 g' ]1 t9 P8 z% l" g Can never be measured in isolation
0 m' t! c4 o+ w  E' P" b+ K8 o# ? on a path into ourselves.

* i& M7 l$ v" t) @' `) {5 P9 h It is true then:
2 o7 H: R' h/ B8 q9 g0 `( s Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' Z0 d; I4 ~# j& u Into the pond of life
2 G; c! y- _3 Y6 p% J Creating ripples
. \& Q# w* E: y8 B# W0 l7 R; j that leave unique mark on our world
0 a' f/ O& C# F7 t3 C' K Not because of thoughts
# l' ?! E+ B' v7 B: p$ K7 F$ V not because of well meaning plans
2 X0 ~  G" ]2 D4 S- M But because of actions.
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. S3 h* ~9 F% a# @# Z4 x Our life's prayers our answered
5 a6 ]5 q- d0 Y) g, C Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
) s' E2 w: k. ?; ^6 n1 ~ Changes the course of the lives
. @2 r: \% ~7 I4 N9 Q# s Of those we touch.?

" z: f; h& A4 V- ~ And when the icy winds of death
# ]& x# I* A; M  `# c3 ^% A% f beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' |) u; f7 ~" Y% ?# r With the knowledge that
$ W# v# [: H' |* t1 {; x. \ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03