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
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 U& P3 n7 T: T2 d$ { A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 Z1 Q# b! V6 F An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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% b, |& e0 t* }/ [7 Z8 P9 j0 N The pebble's place in our world
' z8 H6 J2 B( F$ p: @" } Is neither understood nor appreciated
+ g0 J7 ?  [3 H$ q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 l5 a2 T" K; u- _' P Its insignificance is transformed
9 i5 g* e9 [; L8 s* L# e Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

4 K/ g. |6 G  o8 g! r The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
2 `8 J6 c1 @# o) K7 V Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
: T6 G& X2 C# h0 u9 E1 `" U( {0 P5 v Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

8 z  ~8 u7 f+ y* ]$ d The pebble creates its worth and meaning
. I: ^( z) W- o' z- k By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ S- C( M- z  h, M. _ Creating karmic energy
# {( {- u, e5 f& x# U/ I9 a Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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9 E' F8 h2 @: Z9 Q; e6 d/ ~5 ~ Aren't we all pebbles?
4 c1 ]6 t+ l5 r) A( l3 R' W Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
0 r+ F7 k3 r) J0 \$ ~- K" y/ r That who we are meant to be
) M7 ?4 D+ p4 y2 D8 A2 O Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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1 k+ A" ^# P% S+ P6 K. j' k9 j It is true then:
0 r2 v: _, j. y8 m( H, u1 m4 Y$ U Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
* z( T0 a* x2 \# y that leave unique mark on our world
8 G- l+ Y$ p$ j; @ Not because of thoughts
+ @5 N  Z5 D# P& ~ not because of well meaning plans
/ E/ |' k- H8 @, Q9 f; `* V: o But because of actions.
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) L  C0 o/ F: o+ @ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 F- z2 Z4 o1 | No matter how seemingly insignificant
, c% s5 m/ t' S8 F6 V3 ] Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
2 n" Z: f- N8 p3 s3 {' V We will gently leave this life
7 d4 z: F& o7 S: F- {! @ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
5 Z6 ^" e$ N; N) N! p$ e+ e3 R( l The world will never be the same.

2 s* t; T$ i# b9 Z$ u3 v And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03