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.

: h  H/ B8 o0 h' _ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
; {' g* X1 I& ~' H  D& A Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 s$ t& o9 d! ~% {5 Z0 g An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
& F7 I, `* @: G! n But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
$ e- [% V5 S) }' v$ Z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
3 @. M) m; U3 s2 i+ }8 M' _ Its signature of concentric ripples
# c, N+ O, S+ { Spiral outwards
/ s& u! M' K( }3 R Moving far beyond itself.
4 ?$ W; \3 Z; v; [1 Y Gently affecting everything in its wake
- y) f% r6 D" J# [+ R Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 r5 Z( R! d8 f$ `* Q: M By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 ^/ A0 \! f6 [0 d- B- _5 ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
% Q  Y% U* Y9 ^! q9 k Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
2 X7 S4 v* Z, `: M& r& W But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
! |0 B9 N# ?: |3 D! C6 F on a path into ourselves.

' R  Q' {7 {2 N! ], o: } It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 N) Y" R1 K, W( x8 J5 A7 P Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
/ w4 M  h8 P7 o; \! ~( \7 g that leave unique mark on our world
: X* P2 l  E0 L) w' n Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: w: H2 c! P6 G( b But because of actions.
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2 t/ @' E" T# Q6 d' o4 P5 d9 q/ M. ] Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  U, U, \: G1 v/ J/ R9 X2 Z% D& @ No matter how seemingly insignificant
# u3 b' Z' G( u3 W0 S# B Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

3 P8 r" E! D4 O. J, `4 u, ^- `% [( v And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
/ I+ N: L+ K1 k' d% p% R6 R8 p  Q We will gently leave this life
- G! C. I3 A5 h& E9 B9 ^! o% @ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
  @7 o9 k2 B- n* C7 [& y, e* x# t The world will never be the same.

8 n0 }8 K0 E9 c; E; ~3 d' g/ ~ And then we have heaven …

& F9 P, e2 S& H4 _ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03