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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) r3 H6 j: _$ p) K1 j+ y0 S: @ 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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4 c  [% O5 O% Q$ g Heaven
1 K/ e9 {; P* l+ h: W The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
% {1 `* m& x+ C% w: P0 ]1 l( T2 _ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 ]" V* F+ `% y5 `- Y A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
& I( i" d6 y2 }. M- y; o% ] But just a very small stone.
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1 P# v) W5 h7 V0 x! }; E& [ 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.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
* i! A$ J0 G; G7 { Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
9 Z9 O/ S/ Y- l% m3 y5 s2 X- X- a+ i Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

) @0 G+ Y/ U5 @4 D+ J The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ B% }( Q! [- q+ _ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  v. D& m0 z0 I4 a- j Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
/ i6 x$ {% O1 }8 M+ z But ultimately recognizing
' h* k4 S- E* U9 s0 f# D9 T$ h 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:
* r+ {& t/ U; e; |& k9 P5 c% G6 l2 t Our everlasting future
( T% n7 Q2 O; ?" l! L" A& k Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
, `1 Q& H: e2 Y! p! d" G' c9 Y Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 u& P3 A; N3 R' P+ @" [ Changes the course of the lives
" B$ ]3 M- n$ o9 Y- D% Q0 W Of those we touch.?

" X* S( r' `2 I, t7 l And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
8 G" @6 s2 a( M; h, \ We will gently leave this life
. d4 w6 r( t+ B' i5 }* S With the knowledge that
! R% r- [3 E* D) \7 T1 \  I; w8 F because of that one pebble
, g5 u- j. x$ a* q7 g The world will never be the same.

% }; Q8 s8 Z( r& \. T3 k" f And then we have heaven …

8 Z) ]8 n/ m+ Z# f+ F, q& \1 A Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03