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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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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, N9 e) L4 Y% u4 p" ]8 d6 g Heaven
8 F7 z# Z" `1 `, ~& D The pebble is worn smooth
: H- K! C* M1 ~/ z6 A5 L7 G Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
  b0 N, U7 P0 H' H* G7 Q2 L4 W A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 `8 ]3 ~. Z0 q( u0 d An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
+ K5 V( R  b2 f' ] 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
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
% W8 Y8 k" P, F. o% n  i$ W Moving far beyond itself.
5 y- V6 @. c5 y/ K8 ?( } Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
- k1 }+ J8 A  ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
. \% Q9 D9 f0 i) D1 m! Z/ E Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

! t# h( m0 e- [, L- n" J Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
6 ]% N6 R( F- d1 K! M But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
- v; n* n1 H  i0 m* v. ^ Can never be measured in isolation
, P( T$ Y9 T$ N- V on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
: G0 a* O" g3 B) M; b  _ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
# P& M: ~3 E* ~( Z4 S, G Creating ripples
8 B0 Q; O' {( @7 h4 @6 t- a2 g that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
6 G3 r" l1 i5 o$ b2 `$ r: F not because of well meaning plans
+ U" ]+ [. P" [: c2 F! \+ ^ But because of actions.

# T9 T4 [3 y2 T* s6 N8 g- C- _ Our life's prayers our answered
$ T. l8 y7 J2 K2 f8 [' r. Y& N Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 B  N6 V+ @0 g0 B/ x Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
% F1 B! E! ^/ Q/ t+ A$ o We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
% `* Z/ Z$ _; n+ K because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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+ h7 [! i' O) D  e0 q& G And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03