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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% [4 D+ A6 ]! \7 W4 ~ 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.

4 A8 J+ G2 u7 g0 t+ q# ^ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
, b; A' F' z5 ^/ x2 q2 q9 S An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

  n: S+ I# A& H. v The pebble's place in our world
/ g) O" o; @  Q% W3 q2 g0 c Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: D3 q1 l1 P1 W1 F* | Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
' @  N. v; r# \2 j  `0 U Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
* M1 l; _' ]8 n0 i" c, V# z: H Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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: w9 r6 z* t3 U- ? The pebble creates its worth and meaning
1 t% i7 Q1 J! [8 i/ D By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
4 u- V1 v2 [* h0 ?- V/ G Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
5 z0 l- q0 t6 S9 ?5 i# {1 C
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
) C1 t" e/ ?0 v# ^( R7 q Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

" [; G) N  o; _  a0 Z3 O% J It is true then:
Our everlasting future
" |; I8 L* b7 y8 B0 v Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
: m. z3 Q; W1 Q' v8 i( H* ` Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
, F, k! j/ J; u- o; x4 E not because of well meaning plans
0 q. }: Q% E% P) @+ y& v8 y& s But because of actions.
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5 d: R  E0 |* F/ k& }* x7 e Our life's prayers our answered
* |. o* u/ `3 {* B Because even the smallest pebble
$ x' k2 p* E; K( G1 l No matter how seemingly insignificant
% ^$ m2 O- V2 |6 ] Changes the course of the lives
  P, i* p! S1 P$ X' x/ _7 B Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
$ P5 c, \7 a, t" c beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
9 J; U; T: I5 U$ @, [! E6 U1 @ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
% n& b& T' g2 g9 a& I The world will never be the same.
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. S! c7 M3 V: H3 z% k+ ] And then we have heaven …
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- H* t$ h* q$ X, @3 d+ N! \ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03