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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6 C8 a3 N( ^& A4 g3 [; P" p 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.

9 d( s' ]1 z1 u9 W9 n Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
9 a. q2 m: ~* E: S9 y Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 l, U- R# ~  H8 i) L A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ z  K3 t' K; j0 X But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
( q# w8 {7 {1 W& w4 m& `. } 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
* A0 q2 Q; R4 m* h; L: ` Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
) H$ ^9 `- H$ O
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ w. {* h' i6 b" e; x8 b$ {' ~ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( W5 Y# i( k6 S" R( l Creating karmic energy
6 j! m+ E5 H1 y. k5 x Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
8 q& l" I' ]; i: T; A. N  Q7 ^: n1 s
3 s2 t. X1 G7 r; X Aren't we all pebbles?
9 q9 _% k$ `' `1 A/ F Feeling small and insignificant
1 c, x" ^$ h. E* W, T5 v% C But ultimately recognizing
& u- Q. b! l5 Z& L That who we are meant to be
0 r4 c/ E  P; V! a, V% U Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

, \" Y. q3 G6 n+ I" A! [+ l: y It is true then:
Our everlasting future
: r. l# o5 Q$ F& Z Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ ?% o. }. {6 ]; V7 M9 R Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
2 o# v* o1 U# B4 Z6 B that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
7 d, q, w0 p! A9 ?. h6 k3 K1 T But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
' m4 G2 d) d# I6 z. x5 U& s! O Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

8 K: z+ E' q' j And when the icy winds of death
' \3 O9 c/ }  j6 W beckon our lasting attention
% h# R7 U7 X* ^# O& h We will gently leave this life
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 …
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5 B/ k3 x6 n! [4 j! `9 W Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03