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.
8 {* X2 }  ^$ n1 f8 B
Heaven
/ \  p. X6 |2 g4 t The pebble is worn smooth
5 A/ D7 @2 D4 J% s. Y  f: p Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 Y- Q6 C  K; a8 m+ R3 ? A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
% \; ]) v! {# H
The pebble's place in our world
  J7 t) a$ q; E+ A Is neither understood nor appreciated
8 g+ h. q1 A, X3 j. ]% ?. H2 V% d But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. v1 d3 M7 G- i3 }3 }& N Its insignificance is transformed
1 q) d! k  y& n4 E( f" A( s Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# S( |- A+ l* g, h9 W Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

1 i. H% \9 O, T4 q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
1 Z2 |$ s) k: \7 s3 d9 ~" w2 K' @& a By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

* w6 P8 g1 g' d! e Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
& F0 z; x3 s* Y: V/ V. w But ultimately recognizing
/ w# T: v& ?5 X8 f( o/ S( [+ C4 t That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
2 R4 @! [" c5 w0 l/ c  J# j6 [ Our everlasting future
+ m3 g; C& S2 ]/ _6 G# Q0 |0 o Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% a/ T5 @& z* R7 ?2 ] Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
2 G5 A' g$ ?( o* j# T" E4 l that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
  l: B' m2 T& y) }! {: W+ | not because of well meaning plans
% Q& y, y; Z# f5 `! B  q+ O But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
" c2 p8 `+ K' W( ~5 J Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
0 Z; m) E, y9 ~7 s) Z9 n5 B( i- ] beckon our lasting attention
  c8 L; U! B: G) u We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
) }8 C7 L: h2 q, o! U because of that one pebble
6 S' N8 ~. s2 A- h! K The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03