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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 z7 l' p" c# L6 b3 o5 s* X Made small over time
0 a' y  \0 w, D# J; q6 N- p A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 q9 m/ V  F+ e/ _( m0 Y" x An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& K" W. t: D& E; t0 ] Its insignificance is transformed
) S. c) f  W  F6 d( g6 G Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
" ^4 c) s  z- E; m# _/ Y! y
1 i. c7 S& o4 ]. N2 { The instant the pebble kisses the pond
1 q+ q$ k  y& X  J0 K Its signature of concentric ripples
& _+ a1 ]4 i4 X# K8 f1 c) d Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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0 l6 L" A! X! f$ r0 s$ K" \# Y: s The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  a" E+ }4 w- I$ k9 ~2 f" V1 [ By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 m$ w- C5 Z6 _. e/ {0 N( d Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

" {' n5 Y4 ^5 f2 T6 R6 ^9 f9 o Aren't we all pebbles?
! K6 n3 F. ^- x5 u1 r5 F0 M3 j Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
" K$ V, E7 g7 T6 g3 D/ d% r" t+ r Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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9 B' Y4 g7 l, U: q1 e6 m It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
3 `; Z6 }  Q5 f0 ?+ u  O4 C( D% X Creating ripples
2 s0 I4 G2 j. I! p1 q that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
7 M1 k, d, B: S$ q But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
- p' I4 i. e$ ], z8 m Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
1 X( @; B& y  {  N( T+ S) P Of those we touch.?

6 I9 J, b- e4 b% Y3 M And when the icy winds of death
1 C/ r( y7 U# X. b! i' S  Z beckon our lasting attention
1 n7 E" _0 J: y: U# o We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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( d. {, _" X  p& [9 U1 t Ross Rosenberg
: f0 i. C1 [  H 8/18/03