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.
4 T! s6 o7 j6 K. e" K
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* D1 p4 h/ g, O0 e A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 Y# B; ?0 ?5 Q  l8 ~" \ But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 j5 ?; k$ m9 `. F! O: A But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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% \: [4 d  _# F$ h! w! I! ]* I The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 \  C7 h- I6 I/ C$ D$ J3 I Its signature of concentric ripples
+ y& j% q! o* E  L0 |, g7 f Spiral outwards
4 F! m2 s5 O: {9 E* k Moving far beyond itself.
; M' o8 Z; V$ m" ?- D! g. R Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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: s& Q+ Q  D* p Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
# _" X' d' q4 v% Z/ }! S7 j Can never be measured in isolation
. R1 `; d7 |) x6 O on a path into ourselves.

" H' @% E: a/ M+ c  P9 w! _ It is true then:
( w2 n' c8 g5 r! h8 o4 x Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
' D% p8 Y) @4 Q; G1 h1 K/ M- j' P that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
8 B% U+ p: b' t( z# }# ` not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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5 s" m1 T% V; Z0 x; D4 p" J Our life's prayers our answered
1 E) p0 }# t5 S/ X% c' [$ e. h, C Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ z0 w' ]' N2 ] Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

& Y& R- }4 ]8 H* X6 J# t' \ And when the icy winds of death
7 `6 E% S' R6 q4 z1 [ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
* V: k! a0 V" P/ j# e because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03