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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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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; ]/ W2 B# M  P" X9 ^ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 x' h' [1 `/ L Made small over time
1 }4 f, Q5 u$ j3 Y A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
: S( G0 O9 T) g4 O2 Q4 L% {+ O But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
  X% x8 l% H7 U) E, r- e Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 h, v. G2 g; D' ^, a But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
+ a5 a5 n) v2 c$ H" |2 I Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

8 k! Y4 z7 g/ u, d% u" n$ P 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.
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! b8 H; S( Q  K3 z6 k The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% |" @$ X- {/ v; `1 ^ By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 y: g# Q9 e3 Z0 B1 A7 O% l3 J! ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
5 A* @4 [" X- ]- W, b9 f Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

% i( V! q/ z$ ~& \/ C1 a Aren't we all pebbles?
0 ~, E( _8 {+ D: \2 |0 _1 [+ d Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
/ g# C3 S" _# M0 U, | That who we are meant to be
; R: R" O+ e! q" i- D2 [ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
5 g" ?1 v8 w9 @8 F. ] Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

3 |( N# n7 a" F" a/ y$ \! l Our life's prayers our answered
# U1 u/ t; u8 m5 O$ L5 N* V Because even the smallest pebble
" G1 y9 n. L. V: @$ [) A, | No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 r# C9 K/ }% f* o" g1 P Changes the course of the lives
+ x* A# Y! N, D+ P4 A; h Of those we touch.?

5 w# ?3 `7 ?) i0 F And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
/ [0 F$ {9 h' H' F0 f! J1 @6 @8 ?) r We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
( k" s% O0 j! U* n+ I9 R# f; L because of that one pebble
' j; U4 F* j6 r6 d1 H* d* } The world will never be the same.

2 b& l, o* N9 r! a And then we have heaven …
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) h* n  O& x( z  X3 p Ross Rosenberg
, Q. x1 q+ Z. b. R5 t 8/18/03