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.

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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/ A: J9 ?* b. Y; t5 v0 t Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
8 m; |% P2 b* J" c Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
' d6 j3 J* R$ x5 P But just a very small stone.

, J) f, C+ g/ M8 j. z+ H# }! u The pebble's place in our world
; F2 {% x7 X% D: b9 ?( E4 ^ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  H6 w2 F# v& T: E Its insignificance is transformed
/ r3 R* Y9 f3 d! B) l( y: H3 h Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
. @9 Z9 _5 F: _ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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- G4 g8 T5 B" u5 i. @ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
) E6 _- n. u/ ?. { By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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* S4 O" f# z; `6 i Aren't we all pebbles?
0 V. ?. b/ g9 g8 r Feeling small and insignificant
. O0 W, ?" q: n( \; U5 J0 t But ultimately recognizing
; Q" z9 |5 K! m9 k3 v# a6 W That who we are meant to be
1 t0 M) m5 g( T0 b# F2 S4 D! Q5 R Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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  Y2 h% t: `9 I: @" p It is true then:
Our everlasting future
0 U, W" [3 L3 }. x* d5 w Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
6 y& ~4 t: D% Q; l: N$ I8 h( v" Q Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
2 g3 C  R; c: b; y that leave unique mark on our world
( {9 N) A0 ?2 |% F! c$ n Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
$ r; t* p( ^( h& P$ Z/ ^1 c But because of actions.

1 ~  P) e9 V1 F3 t7 J7 d- o Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
3 K4 n3 J( J% W. j  E; b5 v No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
9 ~$ y' J. n4 ?- }% z$ } Of those we touch.?
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) r* L6 p0 f- k. u9 X, h5 \ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
- X# |# `4 x! y  Q7 s& A" {- G2 l We will gently leave this life
0 m( g7 e* Q  G; I3 Q- H' x, N With the knowledge that
/ k- g+ q/ C3 E( L: X$ e because of that one pebble
4 T1 D9 u" k; _; r! L: n7 u% \5 s The world will never be the same.
  }: {0 o9 F( E0 X2 s( F5 K3 J
: r: f" H' ~: Y& ? And then we have heaven …

( y# S' R6 L5 g9 b" H  ~ Ross Rosenberg
7 K% [' l6 c) q9 m 8/18/03