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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+ y# Y6 W, J+ @; H Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 `5 W. f5 L. G; Z% b4 [/ | An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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. X7 t/ R3 I$ U1 m The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
; a+ d6 t* V. E  A9 j But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 s* j" I2 z- s* ?8 p Its insignificance is transformed
" Y2 v' {- p/ E% l Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
- T3 k5 J' k4 P4 G# U4 v; M; \ Moving far beyond itself.
2 K; N" r( U& j/ j$ [- L: C& F Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

% p& ^2 ^  K; `- O. R. V5 @+ j- } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 s8 k: o9 u. G% i Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( C$ ~3 P2 e+ n Creating karmic energy
2 d9 h% \, N& _* \; k Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

4 Z& M6 ^4 G7 G& d/ C  g Aren't we all pebbles?
5 X# }& I9 f+ i" U+ _) `9 | Feeling small and insignificant
8 C3 k0 }& K0 O1 A But ultimately recognizing
: @: [! E: J5 A+ y3 K0 b. S3 C That who we are meant to be
. k  Q- F! Q5 j0 ?8 M Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

1 b" J' C8 k  g It is true then:
1 D! A$ M' J/ f5 E; }+ ~ Our everlasting future
8 y+ X; ^2 v+ b, q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
( u# Y9 D( S& |1 F Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
4 U" |% t6 X! D) f# |7 |5 n that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

3 L9 d6 S7 X) i4 v, N% V Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ f( P! a$ O' C3 z& n Changes the course of the lives
. C" c# j3 z5 w5 C" U5 i Of those we touch.?
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4 L2 T  S) M) z- w1 D1 K And when the icy winds of death
& {6 W& U! ~- I# u3 D1 U$ R/ }5 ? beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
5 Y4 r+ p# |; Q0 \' R1 e With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
, T7 _7 A1 g  E& X The world will never be the same.
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, U6 p' C2 g" c: ^) u And then we have heaven …

  `4 \8 `# C7 T( f) F# y Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03