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.

5 m+ ]6 W  V# R. k8 i; E' e5 A; D4 I# B Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 ]: y8 ?. _! |0 G7 z$ E2 W2 K A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 ]' I6 n5 R0 h0 S/ t  U7 b5 w An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 C7 G- z7 d$ a( u5 L) l# F5 X But just a very small stone.

2 ~% V9 B+ Z" a The pebble's place in our world
) N( Z) `! T7 A& X' G& p3 [1 q Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 n7 r# {1 N- Q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  ?+ |, r3 I" d1 _$ ~- a Its insignificance is transformed
6 r2 d' h' I0 O0 h# T9 D Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
' @1 R" Q- Q2 g Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
/ j* l1 O5 O+ c& v6 I Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ T% r1 E1 p6 X) {6 ] Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
% W! a" A# l: G( o0 R# o- U Feeling small and insignificant
! e1 P. p) B  \. E! e0 S7 L But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
% d) E+ f6 i+ a# [/ o5 D Can never be measured in isolation
( m8 V7 `- s, M, V8 t, l  ` on a path into ourselves.

6 l) p2 j5 F0 d" \- }  r It is true then:
Our everlasting future
3 R, G/ V% h2 q1 {( `/ d0 { Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 Y8 a; d1 L9 U$ f Creating ripples
2 _: z# X, c& i that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& q( T5 q! R! j( U' y not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

$ R' E# `3 L4 f Our life's prayers our answered
6 C6 k/ g3 Q  O7 ^4 ^% _ Because even the smallest pebble
1 \- ?, D+ C$ n) ]% W No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ S) U1 o* x( j Changes the course of the lives
/ I' i2 t  m3 K. ]6 S0 _5 ~ Of those we touch.?
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* T9 b' R& I6 |/ W$ ]/ a* H3 I And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
5 M  Z; A7 N9 k3 k( @, w We will gently leave this life
1 M. Y( q: Z  V% @: A& A' y With the knowledge that
4 O2 ^0 ^, C1 @# _! x3 G because of that one pebble
, R) \$ D7 s4 r* \: n The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

9 [9 i. ?/ y9 h" R- G+ k5 M Ross Rosenberg
2 a% d* l& k9 G  l  Y3 B 8/18/03