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.
8 \2 Y7 n- Z6 H7 h
1 i' ^5 H+ b$ q/ S/ n8 f 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
9 N: H5 q4 z" C0 Z  I4 ] 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.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
' y1 I% C5 i; m8 m) ] But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 C1 @% ~' D& d* u3 L' F; e' a, L Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
) S( }* j& q3 [. t9 ^8 i# {: q
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 w' }' w4 [7 u" d6 A Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
1 F9 H1 u0 w4 q, n+ \' @( b9 V Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ u1 l6 O4 m. q" N* v* h) K- q( W Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

! [& Y" F( m! i; f% X1 N The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% C- Y) S  X& W6 ? By unleashing its unimagined power?
( z' G0 Q0 `6 L3 T Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
% |; F$ ^0 n" n1 ^& Q1 L1 B
+ S8 g- V8 b" j Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
) ^, K' }: D4 B* O$ b* ~ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

$ H! J, e& \# O6 w/ o; ~( x It is true then:
Our everlasting future
  [- H" b0 _* n$ ?) z* x6 x Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
  h3 n( [9 h" k$ f that leave unique mark on our world
5 _2 J" g' P* d) Q9 s0 b# { Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
- w- l& k. w" O! T. }+ a" \6 @ But because of actions.

0 n! d* R4 t, f9 x Our life's prayers our answered
2 D/ x; t  _. M8 G7 s3 Z3 ] Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* h: G2 P0 l* @" p5 s: o Changes the course of the lives
) ]( s5 o1 u( b( V0 V Of those we touch.?

: b$ t7 p& B" M And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
" O  J( Z% |. o4 H We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
5 P; u. s/ V8 X  ]+ d4 W because of that one pebble
7 ?2 Z: I- Z# z4 j& p* v% @8 ` The world will never be the same.

% a" |: {* s# i/ p And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03