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.

Heaven
1 E' V8 K; C! H! E2 o1 G The pebble is worn smooth
1 h+ t  k5 C) @7 _3 B4 m 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.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 ?( J0 [: g4 \2 ~ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
" N3 d) {9 h8 k6 i& ?  w2 p Its insignificance is transformed
3 X: |$ A( Z' P0 d- e* `8 k Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
! U5 ?. {. X( i! | Spiral outwards
. h/ Y4 a/ E2 D( @8 h Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
6 r2 u2 r  S5 ^% P- S Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

3 R' a5 L  I7 M6 { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
: n7 c& _' f+ l, O Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" }5 g! a5 c4 A# J Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
2 x- j) y% i1 M7 g Feeling small and insignificant
+ s$ N$ J- g4 ^, i! N But ultimately recognizing
, Q2 f! v" P% z; v: i8 t1 ~  [5 u That who we are meant to be
" W- a! I8 {; r+ K7 M5 |; y+ |8 v Can never be measured in isolation
; t; ?% p. a' k1 }2 W' H on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
# V0 H, }' R$ u: N8 T Our everlasting future
/ o0 H9 @' ^5 V9 b Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& ]5 h: K* X, {" m Into the pond of life
# ~- U  n3 R+ |) y6 Y8 O Creating ripples
  p. P% G7 [3 m5 z/ F5 z that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
, H/ @! \  k4 g$ u# d: I/ B5 l7 F) i not because of well meaning plans
, d4 K! c6 f* A9 [8 S+ z But because of actions.
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+ W8 ]  a$ k) W$ c! s& k Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
; u$ b' V/ W5 V) @! j No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 J& O6 }1 P6 C5 H, x$ ^& L1 o Changes the course of the lives
0 e9 K/ M, K4 B) w# h Of those we touch.?
  Y/ q9 d2 f- F0 v: n# u4 L! V+ A# e
6 B/ j( M$ i1 ~( p, M4 Y$ {0 n And when the icy winds of death
0 w5 a" Q7 v) k9 F8 ? beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
  @0 G+ k" s* h because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

. B  C4 R3 @& k( h* ?, D4 p  Q And then we have heaven …
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- o0 }% d! a9 _$ x Ross Rosenberg
6 H* c: Z% b$ ]: `( E8 B: e( G 8/18/03