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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# V* l8 v% `: [7 u 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.

Heaven
4 |/ J3 k9 H6 g( c$ A The pebble is worn smooth
& r% f* u1 t' Q# ]/ e Made small over time
3 X! G' Z8 c& Q1 N6 @ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 F' E7 S9 _, U. N An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

& ^' E2 ?# U2 E The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 {, c+ O, a4 |0 z, E Its signature of concentric ripples
" F* ~2 v$ J9 c+ T0 N+ x: u Spiral outwards
& d, ]& O# H$ S. z4 R5 [ Moving far beyond itself.
9 e" s0 a' f+ y! {; n Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
; x+ v/ H3 Z  L9 R5 _; K- ?; A7 `$ e2 Y
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 o" k, G& I* \3 G" i. q) A Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- V. X6 T6 u. ^: @0 X+ t Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
! {/ P+ x3 F' }: n Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
( Y& ?, z; {! y- K. f That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

0 ~! Q6 b* q- O  i% p; T It is true then:
Our everlasting future
( N$ F* W; \- K$ P5 w Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
# t) ]! {  y" P Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
" I% \9 W& X+ J Not because of thoughts
  \, w  d! O/ R# g not because of well meaning plans
- a1 {: _) _2 o0 n& x But because of actions.
& V; |6 q& ~( F3 S$ W) ]0 W" _
) `: X- u3 J* o) A( h+ W- A, j Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
. y$ ^  g1 o7 i/ T3 W9 t- A+ s( ` Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

* S. d7 e% l* R And when the icy winds of death
* B( C' T2 Y5 [1 A0 V+ T beckon our lasting attention
7 u! V( _+ Z, d0 o4 p We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
. j& P; J/ S3 k# r because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03