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.
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& C+ q% H5 U; _1 \: H3 @8 Y Heaven
, b3 s% f6 {  a+ B. R The pebble is worn smooth
1 o/ f7 ?# u) D0 j Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
# n: H& f8 f2 S! I2 X& r: P* z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
4 O4 s" b. q, }. M But just a very small stone.

2 v% ^- B6 ~3 D: p The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
; u% o6 K. Y) c7 A: H Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
" m6 k* ?. V/ n! n Its signature of concentric ripples
( ?! f# l5 p( `5 ~; k# q0 m6 X( q9 H$ v Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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5 x' @) g5 E+ p5 e& e! L The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 g; r( p! e% ^' q Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

* w4 F. P! Y! B3 F! ^: h! E Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
% [3 S4 T& ], \ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
( ?) o) C; a' ]& X+ C: Q/ V Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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- h2 H6 g/ {6 F$ J/ Z It is true then:
7 J+ X- y1 e7 d1 T) s Our everlasting future
. [3 d$ z5 O3 k( W Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. C& F* r* K4 D  y9 m Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
8 `5 y2 M# {9 B6 L* E* K6 h- T Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
  u- t. E  N. |7 k$ d. X& G- M But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
$ E; w3 |: ~2 |; U No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
/ h2 x! d0 v! P( O beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
& n, U: {. [. c0 W With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
+ v3 v/ ^/ \  A% |
  w5 |' t% I3 A Ross Rosenberg
! q6 P( F" {" d3 p# g" g9 z6 X 8/18/03