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.
7 Q' ?7 H, s4 `5 j, r5 p
% ~. p1 p, ]2 B/ o 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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. A/ B5 K; ?  `5 g6 s" R" Y Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
& y8 ?8 m5 B8 Q. g4 V9 M6 y" T Made small over time
  e$ [# E& |/ L9 h# ~( _ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 ?4 P0 f$ x, U 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
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

: J0 t! r5 B" u! Y3 }0 i7 m The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 m# z) V- O1 x9 _8 J( P* ^ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
; J, T" C% I7 C8 K& j Moving far beyond itself.
. U( E1 A, R& D* g1 [/ v; S/ L Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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* }2 T  p. r' h/ ]5 p6 W The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' I$ L2 Y. K: r& d" d  E By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
, x& Q6 _9 ?7 m8 R8 i2 R" l( I Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
% T1 {; I7 B' r' G2 ?6 k That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
( C( X% T* K0 j- ]2 ]6 N( S6 f; z on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
2 e" a2 P0 ]9 m% [/ K Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
% `1 @# K' l. ^9 f7 Y6 O* L Creating ripples
; y) Q: v3 A! [3 ?9 w) h; S that leave unique mark on our world
5 g0 d. ]3 c% x8 Y; ?5 C  T( w, i Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
; L( e" a/ [5 [: p& _ But because of actions.
4 D& N& Z# s, r5 W/ _4 }
' L0 x9 L% D9 Y, D& S6 J) W Our life's prayers our answered
; S1 X3 }; ^  X4 j( q Because even the smallest pebble
: A; n$ ]. e6 i9 `6 }/ v6 r+ I' ` No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
7 z- P, i# y6 |5 {6 e) j7 r% f beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) M' p) m1 b; _! l With the knowledge that
9 m" q. j8 ^0 f- w9 Y because of that one pebble
0 j% N, W# r( f, `* S: _1 x* d The world will never be the same.
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4 H& P" J8 I4 P% `) G9 u And then we have heaven …

3 J4 ?+ o7 j. c3 r# ~0 y/ z4 E Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03