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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! ?) ~" g+ o& o- O7 D2 L$ h 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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- a+ O. o  s& h7 N/ o Heaven
* M) T" e! L2 q The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 g' S6 w8 Q# ]2 x( f A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
, V7 M+ \) j# y( A3 } But just a very small stone.

! m& d  t* h- H- `& s" o/ M The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

& {- F! v% S7 t/ i; b$ X The pebble creates its worth and meaning
6 z+ V% p6 z% W By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

1 F, U# e5 a& _- F  q% E Aren't we all pebbles?
% M* |) F. M. D" k Feeling small and insignificant
" M) `8 a: X: {, ?8 O. I But ultimately recognizing
/ I) U# x7 G6 o That who we are meant to be
- F$ F6 |! m, i1 x% y Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
! ]/ k" v& f  F4 n- D* Z Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 B1 X  g: D5 R5 K Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
2 h, y. B1 G; h4 n that leave unique mark on our world
7 A" v& i1 ~$ N4 p( j Not because of thoughts
, c3 o( w, p8 ^! K6 L+ `5 f not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

6 m) D: U8 g  n Our life's prayers our answered
( k; \, H6 s6 C( x Because even the smallest pebble
0 Y' c# y4 {1 f3 T6 U1 V7 o) n No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 m, T7 u  A5 C1 f& I1 E Changes the course of the lives
& F! B, X" |$ Q0 |9 X Of those we touch.?
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# P8 b+ b1 s+ a1 K9 [ And when the icy winds of death
/ q* s3 u) Q+ F# }; ?+ i' R6 Y( h9 { beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
; h( G6 `) w3 P because of that one pebble
( O0 ]7 M8 G* Z" r The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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. ~4 A0 K" i6 Y# K; G' c Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03