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.
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1 ]# @& i" o+ e$ O2 h Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
# Z1 O2 G% N0 T& K# [* q5 r" N7 f- L Made small over time
6 q; e* i  W) x6 ? A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 E- [7 f$ b6 O An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

; b  I0 ?! C  T+ `+ L The pebble's place in our world
) I' O7 Q( p! J8 i  t- S. E Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
* z. S4 c7 H2 L. ]3 S Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
' p/ I: i% h% g# T Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
) P8 [7 a7 @3 [# R& D1 z Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ J) K0 A: r3 p, F9 O" d By unleashing its unimagined power?
( R+ P* x9 F  S! E& J6 g Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ ]* j* E8 V# V- g( }! P0 e Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
: _, |. t! a! M7 E Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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4 V* j7 t" A8 V( ~# l It is true then:
) G) o0 d* d: M( f: F Our everlasting future
  V1 q6 {* P1 b- T( d Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' o9 J1 m) W! g. ?) C" x Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
/ u" n2 g0 B% W& R9 t# ~' a that leave unique mark on our world
9 b) A/ O. r) v; D8 y: J Not because of thoughts
  e8 i% ?; m0 J not because of well meaning plans
4 M' A: N; X8 z7 f9 k! a9 {( M0 D But because of actions.
8 L* \' x2 u: Q6 x/ u$ y! m5 _% ~) E
0 a* t: ~* Y5 B6 J Our life's prayers our answered
' X6 Z/ Z0 ?; V7 z& } Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
" M8 y( Z3 i9 z& E6 Z9 o- g Changes the course of the lives
/ V0 g- Z  H, q, ?: a Of those we touch.?
0 l" `( W. d, ?
/ g" F* C  H! `/ S4 V And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
7 w. B) [" @) J% K We will gently leave this life
% K% W  Q# z2 M; h+ ` With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
+ Z/ ]8 W: X, q1 P( v The world will never be the same.

2 w4 \. |, }# n2 g% A9 U6 f' Z3 J And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03