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.

; ~) S$ p% r2 w# |- c8 v* { Heaven
0 X  |% U+ w+ o8 u+ Z# s; k+ G/ { The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 Y" F7 V" [+ f) f9 @: S7 D An accidental offspring of a boulder
, c- \) y. I$ o( z9 w  v# E4 r But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
# y5 c2 i; a  F! f8 C" h+ N! l$ } Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 N! k  n! b( g5 [2 ^ Its insignificance is transformed
. e. X7 e0 p! v* } Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ r  D' Y5 c) b% A  r! w+ G Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
9 n0 W, `- m! i/ K9 G& x Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' @9 I' o1 y5 T( E0 o By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' M9 S* A. ]/ I6 ]1 t3 G6 k# r Creating karmic energy
4 B; x# s# b8 X Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
1 E6 a+ ]# `; b7 [  W That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
1 B" d; t  y* e' o% t* R  e  s on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
% ~, s# p! ~% w/ B# }1 K( m Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  d9 A! L, G7 R( _ Into the pond of life
4 S& ]- |+ V4 k: s9 g7 S: z  ^ Creating ripples
! V* S$ U9 w2 B" `- k, K! S6 z that leave unique mark on our world
8 N2 |% f0 w2 s2 T2 s Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
1 x# s, g. }; r0 Y But because of actions.
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1 s8 d3 q2 W7 R) F$ ^+ h6 R( E# p Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 W; V% y7 j& J  Y Changes the course of the lives
  d0 e, {. J, h( i Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
! y% g2 P, e% j0 M/ C0 L- [ beckon our lasting attention
/ V5 p+ A% U! T5 [ We will gently leave this life
; c8 n! i4 x4 L3 a/ H( D/ F' Q( t With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

: k$ I. i9 s; C3 l3 { Ross Rosenberg
2 B5 A; T1 I& A' d 8/18/03