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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. Z' h8 I8 W; ?" A 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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' O$ N7 N5 z5 {7 |/ t0 W* G Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
5 _; W# e2 h4 N5 I4 s+ o A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 ^/ L2 a: |0 K! @& f. t An accidental offspring of a boulder
" D& v5 x# y1 t But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
& c1 e; i! R7 c! u- d5 x Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& j+ \3 L4 \3 N* b2 W. V# { Its insignificance is transformed
- S  A$ y2 k* c% K) ? Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

( X" ^$ t3 o8 D0 |  e# |% X The instant the pebble kisses the pond
3 E2 t1 M" e+ r$ x) e  A3 |7 Y: _3 V Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
" S7 _+ s, b$ [& @/ } Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
1 x* H" _& U! U Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
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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Aren't we all pebbles?
' E' h* ]) W5 x' P; x. H9 x/ I1 b Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
) ]* r9 a1 a" v% ~2 l% k Can never be measured in isolation
/ j$ ]! Y' A, i9 p4 |# ~1 O on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
5 ]( B1 \; ?+ u% d0 U3 E Our everlasting future
; h- R* p) H! e" A+ ? Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
6 v( H, r0 i$ n6 _9 E  H that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
' `7 W- x' ^3 B: C9 H But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
; l# }) C) K7 E, o% A7 a Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
" r7 j# l# G. }$ f Of those we touch.?
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. v& M, V5 o" s7 F5 | And when the icy winds of death
( @0 E! \8 Q7 Y5 L$ n; m" _ beckon our lasting attention
- ~! g* ~- q  [  f We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

% H4 A( g/ g2 I9 Z) i' Y4 h# R# a And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03