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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Heaven
: e+ U/ ?4 @9 Y; ^ The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
( `& w+ R- `' H- J A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 n) ^" ?- B  { An accidental offspring of a boulder
, i( F# Q( l* C0 N But just a very small stone.
4 d: h5 P2 F7 ?0 N" l) h
0 g$ d( `9 d! }" L The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
9 \; f. r6 I8 g; L4 C% i; [ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
' N) ~1 X% k) Y' a3 H Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
' t" R) v7 l- f% U- u/ C Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% d! {: `) Q. q0 c1 H% ^ By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ b+ g$ |! d9 u5 ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
- G+ |4 S# l6 Q8 p4 { Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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, e' ^  N' m  [8 L Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
3 l' Q5 h, B: m+ G5 j  _+ @# y That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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+ h' G7 [) ~6 Y6 L# D0 }+ F It is true then:
. g, k- h4 o7 z  X4 n5 k Our everlasting future
6 q$ X8 T$ ]$ }4 S$ ^. I, U! O Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
: @3 e* ~! z/ W& t$ \- g Creating ripples
# A; |% K/ |" ^( l that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
1 v- h  T/ x, u( D not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
* D. q' o% O  Y8 P* K5 v No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 _/ y" b- X! ?+ L' J" Y Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; ]) i  v$ K5 I  T; t5 e5 P We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
; L; @3 t# f  k9 |0 }9 ^  e because of that one pebble
* u2 ]! @4 ?7 K) w+ }$ d; k  G The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

0 f  A) m4 |9 q" T Ross Rosenberg
1 c0 N- a2 V, ^3 A) z 8/18/03