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.
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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
+ v$ ?) _0 R5 x8 r An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
, Y- b+ u: E0 [  n5 k& p* A But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 y* ]9 U4 O* c% q' |" H) ~2 p Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 G. j3 F4 z, S! f Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
7 A- O& j7 @  d/ d, o1 f+ N Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ {. h2 |" f% P; } Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

; h! D7 U0 J$ D5 o( M( I1 v+ l The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  ?8 ]* ^8 F8 o2 @+ h By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 J" x* c8 n* e- l( T$ P2 d/ y2 G Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ Q+ @& m  l1 m( P# u  C Creating karmic energy
" x# G( b; [% l: l/ U- H Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

' b# ^6 H; r) |& [" M4 u2 M Aren't we all pebbles?
# B2 ]2 y" x9 }9 E( b% B Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
* B: t( z7 n2 E' X$ P9 J That who we are meant to be
# N$ u& V, K' M+ i4 i' t Can never be measured in isolation
! |+ H/ T9 a& j5 w) G on a path into ourselves.

0 B+ ?- r& h4 J  E7 i9 P  f It is true then:
" j8 z4 l/ G6 W. G Our everlasting future
8 i5 N  M9 ]% h3 N5 Z5 T1 G Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
+ `4 b' e7 I9 d* a Not because of thoughts
1 q% L* ^( I4 H% z1 @ not because of well meaning plans
0 x7 g( f# r3 a5 U9 A% f0 h8 p9 _7 V But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
' @6 V' m; z$ M, ? Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
! f: v) j1 O! e2 m4 ]! e2 v Changes the course of the lives
* N6 V/ P8 N! v+ c Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
% L3 c  m( E  V# H- g- z beckon our lasting attention
* {6 t: P; \/ H# B3 q5 R We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
2 {) ~9 X5 Z- D' r because of that one pebble
/ G. n( v  M* v& n0 ]# S  Y2 e The world will never be the same.

1 |" s( q* f0 `6 R' V0 m3 r And then we have heaven …

" Q4 y: x( b. M( M" X Ross Rosenberg
% b7 G- f% j! g' ^5 w 8/18/03