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
( ]8 v% {" M* T4 H4 S1 U4 B Made small over time
; h# {9 B9 P$ w4 L5 _, M- E A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
" P& `5 c" @, I! Q. i% l5 M# @ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
8 _' n, Y7 y- d' \9 P Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; y' v! d* X8 K* S2 F( S! g9 M( K8 V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ _1 R* g( O( u0 b Its signature of concentric ripples
+ T  a4 y, e" R( A Spiral outwards
) d- b% j4 c/ m+ m% |& f Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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' o. v) p( h$ p The pebble creates its worth and meaning
. j7 p% I+ j9 n& C2 @' Q By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 |8 u+ X5 l$ F: D6 y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 a) `1 a% \) Q Creating karmic energy
  w! r* V6 \3 z8 z3 C2 N Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
' X) D, ~1 D! ?4 P7 |3 U But ultimately recognizing
1 X1 P; }% }. A8 I( s That who we are meant to be
* V& w+ C1 D3 c0 k: B, ` Can never be measured in isolation
" a( w2 H1 ~' {1 Y. V6 Q1 w+ B" ` on a path into ourselves.

% h, c4 O% l2 I It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
# }% h' O' v' }( C1 D- S Creating ripples
  r( \2 E) {# g that leave unique mark on our world
  n& m$ P4 G5 M/ k: T0 e Not because of thoughts
4 @; z9 v7 i# ^( z2 M, v not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

1 x' o0 s( s6 t4 [3 J/ F2 ~" h Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 {* M* f4 h! t8 I" d0 L7 ] Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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) X1 r6 E& p1 U: {: z And when the icy winds of death
' ~$ J7 d/ B# l7 C' [& D% U4 ^ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
1 O* B8 I9 I6 P" I; S With the knowledge that
' \5 y% y  L! t! d) X because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

' `  o/ t; y& i And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03