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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7 k. \8 F* n3 n6 S1 A& a Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
$ B$ X- @  ^) F3 G& N+ _$ o7 s A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
# w0 U* n; `- k3 \ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- U  s7 W" ^  P" C0 K+ X! @; I But just a very small stone.

, O4 e0 i) K& { The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
, l1 i; c1 @% d2 n. g But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

6 P+ ]7 u: |* k The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! y, p3 p: J4 F7 W, C. X( x* D Its signature of concentric ripples
- c' ^* f% f0 C( h Spiral outwards
# |$ b6 l9 G3 g& W: M9 b2 [ Moving far beyond itself.
6 w2 T: i( H' I9 r8 u: c Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 ?) F5 N3 j; U- c Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 S% G: |5 j. {6 W# t Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
$ s6 A0 C5 N! F* ~( E5 [3 q3 g  \
8 Y1 R0 R$ {0 {7 J! N4 V Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
6 K  [! u& }1 `  X7 ]7 \ But ultimately recognizing
7 p: b/ p6 E( i( x! P& b That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
# d0 q, V! e3 O! [  H8 W# K on a path into ourselves.
6 b" F& X. o4 E( `+ N
4 u+ `$ Q) B9 D' J' t7 x1 p It is true then:
# O- {; y, T: k Our everlasting future
5 d1 Q$ a5 M8 E- ?' E* s9 r( P Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 K) p) D; u  T+ d Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
. h  a$ |* S& T, {% t that leave unique mark on our world
" `7 X; U9 g- C- o Not because of thoughts
& p) J% D9 }8 ^6 L3 ~  K not because of well meaning plans
7 T7 `. \* N2 L. A  g8 n8 ` But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
  K( K$ ^4 ?- M7 R Because even the smallest pebble
7 N( G$ G, T2 {- W9 P No matter how seemingly insignificant
  H8 h, }* o1 @ Changes the course of the lives
! M! A( f6 q* d2 s. ?% V/ u Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
/ T% g' F& J, ]+ @ beckon our lasting attention
2 J- O* P9 k) d6 h' m3 B0 a 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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: ^6 o* j7 c; `  W And then we have heaven …

/ d) j% s8 ?1 {# H! b1 f# h Ross Rosenberg
5 C! t  V3 M  c. C" A 8/18/03