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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: K. y" _; h0 }8 A5 e8 V 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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6 F' W' l* v2 z+ @+ w6 Q9 L Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
! p* r4 {8 |* w; ~3 q' A0 | Is neither understood nor appreciated
  E9 e$ E) N2 g But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- s' m, N9 J1 C/ P* P8 N# [ Its insignificance is transformed
, Z( n4 n: r. U( h( E' M7 M  E Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
9 p- A5 z+ O1 s8 e6 c; N Spiral outwards
- [/ R' C& O7 b  g) m1 `2 L Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
! u' S/ r/ p! [( C- r# c  | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
  c5 H2 H' s* c' w/ z) S3 s Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
# z: e* H5 {6 E Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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* D/ N( E: Q6 o8 Q. k1 m) u: I3 y Aren't we all pebbles?
& b( ~$ D/ Y: J Feeling small and insignificant
3 W/ i7 J3 n: v: y9 j But ultimately recognizing
* U- {: _- Y. a0 Y/ x1 n That who we are meant to be
7 u" _- X0 W4 O, Z Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

& k' S7 [- F& e4 g# A$ I) ^7 U It is true then:
Our everlasting future
5 K, ]: T( f/ H3 P+ j" g Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
; y/ B9 ?. V2 F% [2 C that leave unique mark on our world
9 E) _- F( P  G. }$ V9 ` Not because of thoughts
: r2 x4 P  X5 A* m  J& W; A' d not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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( K% X; ]/ t7 \$ Y# y Our life's prayers our answered
/ O8 z1 g* O# x! x) j7 R Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 X/ {; y' H( S+ _" s* ^' T, U& k Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

0 G) U( c7 {0 K9 g9 ] And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
! ^4 g% z4 k! B; A+ L$ S. P2 [# {0 X We will gently leave this life
- E% B+ N# \" T+ @ With the knowledge that
$ q; t: E$ P, D1 c/ A1 q2 J+ X because of that one pebble
% {: o0 [5 x2 y* V) V9 ~ The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

6 A  x2 D+ V9 J2 D Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03