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.
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! C  e* `5 N9 E0 d Heaven
0 ~/ d, ]2 I( F* ]" q The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 y" b, Y- }) [& [ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
9 Z5 ^# w  N- S; h2 I Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  _5 t2 W+ _5 A Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
3 K4 Q8 S* f# j& f; q% q
' g% m  F$ P3 B- C0 W0 F  u0 b The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ }- J, s) L6 {& l0 l3 O$ | 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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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
0 S( B* M9 p- \% E/ i/ Z Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

* U2 P; r8 F% V$ z: c" h Aren't we all pebbles?
; r2 D! ?1 b3 m+ Z2 ~" y Feeling small and insignificant
( G# |$ v/ v- V- i. }! v7 ?2 w5 v But ultimately recognizing
! Z( ]* I  n1 b* u- W& t That who we are meant to be
! Y6 Z% b0 d- s) r Can never be measured in isolation
0 b, W' S% n7 w on a path into ourselves.

  y- U9 W" ]( E' w It is true then:
& E% u* S) m. t, u# ? Our everlasting future
* s( z' w1 r* f$ M& g Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' _9 g, T  X9 N, X" U Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
+ h/ @, m4 |! f/ k Not because of thoughts
$ @$ L5 E& z( @0 \4 N- Z! N not because of well meaning plans
! K7 L0 E+ p# V$ p But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
5 @# {# x% m# X7 _7 F) L& K0 v Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ W" R! Y- h# z" w' N* @7 h( w Changes the course of the lives
6 ?$ |  o' ~# l; V% D: u6 t Of those we touch.?

; j0 L) |) d4 h( w( F8 J And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
, N1 D. {; P) \* ~- z3 U5 F With the knowledge that
1 c3 C3 o, M- C6 i because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

. L: p/ o  g7 u, R And then we have heaven …
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: ]/ z4 [" Q$ E8 @ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03