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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+ w+ X7 A6 ^1 ?. s- h- X4 r 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.
& \* S0 o+ Z, G7 ?* x- u- Z
5 b6 {# K/ r1 \0 L; d0 N Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
. v  z8 `' ~$ ^  ?. Y; B A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 J  B2 y* N! B* |' w But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
1 f& _! W0 y: _7 K7 I+ e: f" p Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
- K2 j0 K( a( f. i6 |) F8 b Spiral outwards
& x# o- D8 C7 w7 ~+ Y8 j0 \. H: w Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
4 L& z5 @# Q! @- G7 [4 m
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
( v$ `# n7 T, X/ C By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
* w+ ~: t- M. R Creating karmic energy
1 I! c: x( _& h) V. I Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
* r' [1 Q% i7 W9 v" o! S That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

6 K2 M9 ^& I3 f% L& o! j It is true then:
/ U* z  `" _4 J( X Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; L6 v0 f- s' ~& G% }% \7 `! n Into the pond of life
" }) {% S" J2 V  W$ c Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
6 a7 A% v% _% v7 j% t3 p5 T not because of well meaning plans
. e" }/ Z6 v) l- a; p% @+ U+ S But because of actions.
3 _$ j8 R) E: r9 O/ d
+ ~8 {* Y+ c, z5 M' ^5 P$ s Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
0 w$ u! a  B2 @9 f4 Z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
) J, h6 T* ~1 j2 a+ C. c Of those we touch.?

% F0 d6 X9 d6 g0 |( x And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
3 ^9 D. r$ Q8 J& N) {( t We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
- Z  u) z4 e  r The world will never be the same.
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  o8 y% S: f3 V& i. B And then we have heaven …

7 `/ W/ U8 D: e8 Y2 w1 n Ross Rosenberg
& S7 I. @6 l% ^6 \ 8/18/03