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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6 D4 w. h# n8 M8 H! R: N# ], D' D: Z 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.

& E" G7 l3 T, E3 t, y Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
4 L) e) Y. x4 c& f A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 {2 }/ ]9 [0 ]! L; J. I' r But just a very small stone.
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5 O' E/ j! I1 Y0 G, b 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
Its signature of concentric ripples
% D8 S: X. l; Y7 } Spiral outwards
8 |. a0 r; ]0 n* {! A8 b0 ]$ X Moving far beyond itself.
& G, L: M9 q) c  p, p% T Gently affecting everything in its wake
' e5 r7 p- T3 X3 o2 S/ \ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# ]# K; i  D+ x) f# j By unleashing its unimagined power?
( a* _3 W3 R$ k/ n$ E6 H3 F& q6 K; g& G Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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) t9 a, P) t. O Aren't we all pebbles?
4 L& v  c9 F! @* E Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  m' ~1 p, h, v0 l That who we are meant to be
/ M; Y/ _" G9 |! Q Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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( T' p+ b: E+ w7 S' s2 f9 v7 J' a, E: f It is true then:
Our everlasting future
3 A% `7 g6 G9 ~8 U9 v Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 d2 H& o  }6 U7 z& X: o9 L: l& N Into the pond of life
; U6 b# P+ c+ e& K4 K; P Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
: N* K5 M( c( k) i. U Not because of thoughts
6 g  `$ G) }9 k0 g7 w/ B not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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, `9 ~9 {* Q6 t$ K* h Our life's prayers our answered
  [) W' J9 ^- V* p  } Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 Y# y+ f0 T8 e Changes the course of the lives
3 s9 r" s+ J9 {) i, }3 L. X, \ Of those we touch.?
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3 B5 R  \+ g5 I3 X6 d1 s And when the icy winds of death
8 j. c" B8 V( x1 K) D5 B beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
1 h4 J$ w' O+ z/ \1 n) a The world will never be the same.

8 r. m& d( H" \ And then we have heaven …

0 r- L9 g* j5 f  v/ }* t  b7 g Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03