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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0 g1 H* Y+ C# ]( N! q& g 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.

8 G( }% H, R- M; e- G Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' S2 J# M8 ]% ~% \ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ i) a$ k# l  f9 V3 D( b An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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  w# f0 F& c! c0 j' @( S" h The pebble's place in our world
7 j. ]4 C# Z' B  r9 ~ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
7 E  |9 Q/ t+ p Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
/ _1 @! E% F' h& O/ g  e6 g  C Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
: l6 R3 @2 S3 i Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
" J' u8 w' H, g6 R' v
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
( J  }) C: K- G- H1 F  h$ U' M; J By unleashing its unimagined power?
( {/ j* I( r6 Z( C% D- s Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
9 H0 T6 ~2 b# n* H0 @! Z Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
4 S2 z# R, i* x" d3 s
9 N# N! E  @& W$ }# w3 N Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
7 m7 m$ _. j% N- C* D, Q That who we are meant to be
! T) K& l+ [" d' A& n Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 Y  s5 m0 y3 s( W  D+ t Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
7 c$ y" d: k6 v5 s' k# H not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
9 ^, m* }9 J0 R7 W, o9 ]; F5 Y
# O) Y) M0 [, n' ?, t* v Our life's prayers our answered
$ x! O- l4 `' k3 i0 A Because even the smallest pebble
! V8 E3 |* y7 {  y7 L No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
: L# A8 B3 Z; s. `/ Y1 C8 l, e! A Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
" D" i( I$ R, G1 t+ {% Q0 @. ` beckon our lasting attention
/ R# e8 Z. _+ @6 M4 L* G We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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$ P5 |8 @" _$ g/ V& [/ I% M Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03