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.
0 d6 w  T6 x2 U) E
Heaven
7 O. T9 g& x% E$ A3 p The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
. S, c0 Q. V! W) _; x/ D A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
, Q/ r9 P  b: J1 F An accidental offspring of a boulder
/ l4 `7 G& P* s* j But just a very small stone.
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5 X: @0 Q0 a$ e; ~( ^, ~4 ? The pebble's place in our world
0 Q7 e# j/ K$ B5 u3 Q( i9 x9 M8 U8 ?, V Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
. P* k. x: Y! h  f4 J4 l Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

0 y# c3 y3 \8 r7 w- Z7 D" ~2 Y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
4 b& a$ b9 x1 Z: }
$ f  j5 p' k% \2 u( A The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ g2 H% c& f& x7 R' o/ a By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
* r5 n0 m  L" x: t" O3 c( c Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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3 n3 H& m/ F, j+ Y) R+ q' i Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
$ y6 N4 V2 T1 n, { That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
. y7 `  H- i, Z4 e+ D+ X0 ~5 @ on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
( [" b* Z3 t- q8 o- \8 _  `( I Creating ripples
6 L. T' q! l+ R: H9 ]0 g4 j# M that leave unique mark on our world
6 r3 h( a0 Y9 g Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ H2 f- _+ |' g6 O4 Q9 q" Q Changes the course of the lives
" l# q1 R+ p9 u+ O/ \ Of those we touch.?

. }1 ^- `" q& p' M: j And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
2 M9 g% E% s9 D3 P$ Z because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
6 C( d$ ~0 a7 {" R( l
And then we have heaven …

  i# ]. N% |8 r8 O4 t+ @, ` Ross Rosenberg
! x3 O1 `) U0 f4 p 8/18/03