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.
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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
& p  T+ i* ?; k2 y 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.

3 m+ k; _  ~1 r5 O1 } The pebble's place in our world
2 a% O: r* a# b$ a% R$ t: R Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 W) l* R8 s0 a" c8 m. D But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

0 c! O- N( M+ a( n" b  S& c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ o4 A( A0 Q- ~. }, h  F Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
/ C7 W4 p. G/ q5 _
% Y5 r8 r7 s6 z+ h3 T The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! c0 Q2 f6 ?$ H1 a By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- ]% @( N6 M/ U& V Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
# X# F* y' X3 t: D9 y! j- R" u
7 E9 g2 F1 b7 \! \ Aren't we all pebbles?
! J0 G: g  y* e4 [ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
6 q( }" l" p! X, \1 R Can never be measured in isolation
# ^, A1 I9 b2 |% w' l  I1 h" T7 p on a path into ourselves.
7 ]& l5 k! @! d: p: l9 N. m
* u& n! P$ f& M1 ? It is true then:
" E& f5 e# |0 A1 p6 V- a5 J1 \' Z( h Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
- U9 l+ A8 @7 ?' h2 ? that leave unique mark on our world
7 m- X4 i9 Y9 s0 Y5 B/ U( ?* B% } Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
$ r6 g* @5 D7 a! F No matter how seemingly insignificant
7 k+ }' J3 ?3 b! l# {$ z3 s Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
8 E# \* _! `9 p! b9 S( i( p
/ Y. v$ k; d3 D+ C- ~1 z0 [! ` And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
& s6 s0 z6 E3 z) s) I, w because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

$ J% n% b( ~- c% S, Y Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03