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
6 Q9 u  C  J! p0 Z2 }# x The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
/ z7 G; n, i+ F/ O7 m8 G4 e7 i! _ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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: U6 s+ {, n5 S0 A7 D" y8 t The pebble's place in our world
% K( Z6 r$ P2 \9 L6 u5 B# t/ w Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
+ O+ K& F: a2 T Its insignificance is transformed
! m- b$ ]9 V9 ]- m, i Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* y+ B/ S* G' e5 Y Moving far beyond itself.
4 X+ Q- M& V& O4 r5 y 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?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# Q) {, O' S6 L- s5 N Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
. l7 ~$ Q, q3 \# S3 M& h Feeling small and insignificant
6 R% M5 }- w. q/ s But ultimately recognizing
% j- r9 D& Z% _2 h7 r' P% j/ i That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
0 C/ b/ M2 H  a7 v) N" P7 Q0 o" L Our everlasting future
; Y3 ]7 |1 |0 Q4 m! e Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' n7 @3 }; s$ \. X Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
" e  |: d4 O; s that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
. {8 G2 j, d( x; g  l$ L not because of well meaning plans
9 M) e) m$ w/ ?- h. D. K( m/ M! b But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
& Z7 v$ r' u$ c% L( T Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
7 M- a. l% X( M$ W9 f8 V* t We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( U- ?% U% c* Q The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

/ e. S; p- U, w! D% @9 q: e  v Ross Rosenberg
9 U7 v: T. [2 _& _7 H 8/18/03