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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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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8 i3 m7 y( |7 m( B) A Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
( P' k& V7 S7 M# D3 L9 z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
# Y! N9 \' o& ^) ^4 T An accidental offspring of a boulder
" E2 n( g* ?1 v+ r/ v$ P But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
- d+ P4 @; n: B4 B; k( q/ p But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
$ ~/ O' r% N6 D) z7 q Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

4 I6 x$ ~3 I% i. c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 K# f) d' X$ Z6 h, e7 @% E Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 M5 L- m" m$ K0 f! }% A5 {4 R Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 y7 {* L, }1 W; m; T8 V Creating karmic energy
7 C5 v5 }6 N6 c1 M( O7 }+ }5 f5 I/ } Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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5 M2 i2 |: a+ y; n( I/ ?( s7 s+ ` Aren't we all pebbles?
! s0 ?/ I, x+ O( s- Y8 D Feeling small and insignificant
# Z( F3 B9 n; Z, ~ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
8 A4 V+ O: s) N% w( t5 B8 F Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
4 S' w, @. h( l6 {$ O Our everlasting future
# j) d0 E& ?0 u# u' r  V) {5 K Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* d& U" T1 I3 c Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; R6 F2 k, x6 N Not because of thoughts
, A* E" ^$ Q, [3 O' u( p, J not because of well meaning plans
, E' R% P. V# U$ d9 c6 C But because of actions.

' k6 U9 a9 z& j Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
, v6 R/ Q0 j) R; @, { Changes the course of the lives
5 {4 Q$ `1 P5 n Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, Y" U5 G4 V0 `0 u( u6 J: Z  e We will gently leave this life
6 K8 g2 P( j" _9 S4 G+ X9 S With the knowledge that
0 F" C: E3 ~* b* w2 i  E( [ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

: m4 T. ^# x1 R' S& R; J And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
1 T; Z. l% U" U, ~- Q9 y 8/18/03