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.

7 h# h. b& b) V- O Heaven
. r$ x4 {% ?% S3 I$ E& ~. B8 |2 O The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
$ m  F& P2 U" u1 s  [ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
6 W0 R4 J& g8 ^1 d" a5 q. | But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
9 h5 x, J6 v+ v" I Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 W+ r( E% u+ s2 Y But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 `2 B  c5 v5 }9 g/ D7 I Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

( q$ V# B6 K# i. {  ^  i1 d The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
& v) v7 I( J4 h/ u5 \7 {7 X Moving far beyond itself.
1 q; s7 P+ v2 h( H) h" j* q Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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8 w# r! R6 J5 l0 z! I The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
4 ~  O# v( C! r$ ?5 V  c5 w Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
9 ~! ~; C: w8 E Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
9 E5 k, ^6 d" i But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
( j  I2 \. y1 _8 J- r% Y Can never be measured in isolation
# e; C7 g0 z) J3 M4 R. A  ^ on a path into ourselves.
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  w: u) x3 O1 [* O It is true then:
' n. M' R/ R7 p: Z5 S% B+ K Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 s1 G/ t2 |$ h! L Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
* `. l  B6 C, X  g that leave unique mark on our world
" ?* ~  |5 x! y$ N Not because of thoughts
3 b5 m$ z' T7 J  s+ r not because of well meaning plans
9 N4 g0 W/ C1 Z4 j+ }, v& R But because of actions.
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# Q* u) z6 L; H  }# ?. d Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
# M9 K( l4 v( t/ D% |. y Of those we touch.?

/ u: B! p8 e4 V And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
7 D" s* X: u& g/ v1 g/ }+ B+ }" U We will gently leave this life
0 D) f. q3 p/ \  A With the knowledge that
. s" V# K- f# C* g# f# l because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

9 v2 i& o5 e# V- S) d; y6 Q And then we have heaven …

! [4 L3 [- G! }0 L Ross Rosenberg
+ U7 z- a/ n  d/ v# T' [3 q& K 8/18/03