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.

  ?: Y  J8 i5 d" T& l* l) ` 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.
1 d+ v4 h+ Y) q& P/ ?
Heaven
1 @' R( \$ i0 G, k% t) W% ` The pebble is worn smooth
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
But just a very small stone.
; }$ Q( M6 f1 u6 m1 c
3 M) H: E/ Q: a The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  f! n+ \8 ?; |. u6 Z' J# n8 ] Its insignificance is transformed
3 \5 M0 D, f1 H& H  c& d7 f Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
+ ?5 b" |2 o' D Spiral outwards
! }/ J$ k$ {  Q* f Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ F4 Y' f7 l8 ?# u! c/ I Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
9 {0 C+ A! Q, k5 C4 Q
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
; C$ N, F/ O2 D: L3 E$ b  v Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
) [/ `1 w9 i) v* ~0 ` Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
; _/ r7 S8 H: O8 d That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

( P, l) G* w; X" x0 N' t0 P It is true then:
Our everlasting future
4 d+ _6 ~1 Q5 X9 r2 `2 `4 x3 ]" I Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# U+ p2 r6 l3 I! l Into the pond of life
% G5 r( i% ?# y% }" H% { Creating ripples
4 e: Q* Y( Z; C that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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0 W( j6 D" a; @% g! ` Our life's prayers our answered
: {( }2 g. w$ g8 ]' j Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ T( q9 ~% [8 p' }: d Changes the course of the lives
  {3 \; k4 P( g; O9 s, P Of those we touch.?
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  c% @8 n% z/ E% Q+ I' z8 o% K And when the icy winds of death
/ y4 P: W) t. W6 `/ Y2 K9 n beckon our lasting attention
& b  a, d4 q; ]1 ~, Q We will gently leave this life
- M6 f) u+ c# m& t7 O4 L With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03