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.
' x$ n4 K: x3 }* Q
& t# Z* a$ v* s0 K2 e) a 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' B9 D, p! f8 J  m A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 ~# P* X' V8 W1 s An accidental offspring of a boulder
; f$ [" F/ ?/ o But just a very small stone.

* b9 n1 v* @7 s The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- X: Y, t2 Y, U' g4 D& t+ ~- e Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# s* I; Q3 v& Z# [5 {% h, n( n Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
. t: ?1 d6 h0 k
6 R0 u9 M+ F* j" \. ?) a& ~+ u The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ I. \/ a# N. T4 M! \ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) C( z* m* @" S9 L; _6 F6 e# Q( a9 t Creating karmic energy
' x- g: T( z1 W4 u5 F3 v Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

/ w1 P4 f# v4 b1 q Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
5 v4 C/ X- G, L2 y8 A1 R That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
! F4 o* J0 B. }" ~% T" d on a path into ourselves.
5 g2 u2 j$ ~& V& T
+ c9 P: l- e* J4 W7 }1 `) o It is true then:
Our everlasting future
) D3 ~. |( I1 X4 B Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
$ K# D; J2 d! g% G4 ~ that leave unique mark on our world
% `+ g1 n# h# A# p Not because of thoughts
1 o, r: H. f% L, J4 R) h not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
8 I8 M  a; z0 z1 I; k, ^4 H3 q/ i! s
9 c: O5 E% q% V9 a0 p9 } Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
- F! U7 N# K, i  E: d2 ?7 h$ l, q; s$ F Of those we touch.?
7 W/ ]" B( z* [6 z* H6 Q6 ?
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
2 I3 Q4 E$ w# J( ?7 u because of that one pebble
! q1 A4 Y# @1 [, [) b The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

& n  l0 r3 w& W! F Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03