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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7 w' C7 |" v$ b# V" r/ ?6 L 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
0 D7 d# X$ d7 K3 B; E5 |+ Q8 C& s The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
. m- Z: j. e/ U% N An accidental offspring of a boulder
/ J* V  Z% `) a9 w But just a very small stone.

- v2 x" t6 d- \ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
/ u5 V, K5 f! }( N9 u But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 V, f, E0 r$ {$ j6 ]& s Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! v" o% s! j0 w7 c% C5 h Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
5 T' [8 m; H7 X! ?0 p Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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# N- F# ]% `$ z; b* m; V The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
: h+ O9 Z( Z, S( r Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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7 b: A4 o: P: h8 Y; k9 R5 M( t Aren't we all pebbles?
+ _* A4 w# I" ?  S Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
0 b+ s2 Z5 t0 B, j( O3 A That who we are meant to be
0 y7 S# W: b4 ]; X3 e! a Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
3 I2 Z2 ^5 g. H) F( y; T( e Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! L$ _$ B: C+ w Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
6 j8 M: E6 B  a5 C- h3 b& s0 X not because of well meaning plans
( ~6 f. H/ S. O3 U7 G But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
5 C+ s  X2 f, b& e% M Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
" k" d1 l0 V3 [8 p# L Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
* N0 Z% b$ X7 c We will gently leave this life
: u5 z3 q$ B9 E8 u1 _- ?: e! ~ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03