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
/ A  G( W/ N6 t1 S# h The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( f9 W8 V& z3 [& O3 D, ? An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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# a% P, B  k6 `2 }, W The pebble's place in our world
6 G4 q$ c5 _+ p* o Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 d. h  h- b( p* `0 H Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
. ]' r6 h( G. M2 R$ K Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% k  U6 W1 ^4 U4 h* b5 x+ n/ D By unleashing its unimagined power?
% G5 P5 x1 n8 G Into a dueling force of action and reaction
7 a3 v- K& W# M- l- U1 k Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
: V& S3 X# L3 ]& T9 g: G$ N& { Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
) v2 f; F7 T2 I7 P9 \ Can never be measured in isolation
/ S7 k; v$ D2 ~1 ~9 \ on a path into ourselves.

9 s% f: E6 w8 E' J It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# v+ J7 ^3 n7 R Into the pond of life
/ [3 ^+ @1 M0 M. ^  A Creating ripples
6 E" i3 H" H, e2 D) W* g4 c that leave unique mark on our world
: E: ]' U5 ]9 x" l4 q Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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8 s- k* K7 x$ _$ I  y Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
+ @2 ^4 M& ]& p0 w) L Changes the course of the lives
- B$ Z5 R9 T2 B; C8 p; |* g/ M Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
8 K) {! r% }  U$ l  D; D! S We will gently leave this life
) @3 N* Y, h& v With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

/ w; T, e! Y' u' z. e And then we have heaven …
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, u# I' _- ?# L6 l& v Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03