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.
" `5 ~" }5 `( k
6 S7 I, m+ q/ K* q# C; { Heaven
$ k' d* Y/ F, ^9 d0 R' v* V The pebble is worn smooth
6 F4 ~5 x' ~# p. Z Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
; c% A) i! A/ H6 S( `. ~* } A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
; n" T8 \% u8 N: s; S7 m/ A: {  Q But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
1 M3 w2 o! m5 k: W6 I Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
6 |" G& N5 n# f7 B9 R2 d& D5 a, y
( r( f# U& b4 ?& N The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
& I8 O. n$ U" E5 W! ?4 a' v8 P8 z, F Moving far beyond itself.
6 l- L% b8 v2 h' L Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 W( W8 n3 `) O$ }/ `/ w By unleashing its unimagined power?
& G/ x  b+ U# o0 H Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 B( o& l0 c5 H Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

' p, H& _, s- @5 v2 z+ `, r Aren't we all pebbles?
) h4 o6 W8 o! G0 Y+ K* a Feeling small and insignificant
+ e$ ^( f/ B7 y% p But ultimately recognizing
, p0 w9 X7 I- H9 h That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

" y  Q" y- _+ f  u: p  v It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! @  `+ E( w4 t) a0 p* S Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
$ f" E& m4 T" W  _" c8 { not because of well meaning plans
% @3 H1 B1 J) p7 M0 ~ But because of actions.
/ o  D& U8 d5 k* @- m/ i
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
  N$ f1 E) n6 g0 J' l' }# }+ m Changes the course of the lives
( x% X( v# c# C$ x! C Of those we touch.?
' s$ H2 q5 M7 x# X" z
And when the icy winds of death
+ \8 X9 I( z1 h- L' A- i beckon our lasting attention
5 I1 b4 T, h0 A4 d+ o, z1 j+ X We will gently leave this life
5 p6 ~, p" v* z( B8 z. w, Y With the knowledge that
# ~& E7 c) {3 _9 [% w1 J+ ] because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
3 E5 [1 u$ [0 k( J) O/ c& x
And then we have heaven …
  r' \9 g) b; x- T
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03