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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/ L; I, r8 ]' A Heaven
2 L  s- c7 k1 }$ o) \ The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
0 U" A; q' A( m5 _5 Y' ] A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
$ ^; S2 h( D1 I0 a( r An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
  K" {! ]: q! e5 a
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
, c  S) d! F6 d: Z% k1 l But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; E6 A0 `7 Y/ C4 Z3 a5 r6 } The instant the pebble kisses the pond
7 u6 ]7 H4 m$ c) E! @ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
: c% N. l2 A" z9 w. j/ k Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- [! R: O) X2 _ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
" n1 ~$ F5 x) \, C2 h; r# u By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 c  Q( t* S* h8 Q& X0 i$ T Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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0 C2 D' p  G' e/ N) }; q Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
" K# h: K7 P) {2 O6 z+ Y! v But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
0 {- c& B& E1 @; e$ P on a path into ourselves.
# G) d% z4 k5 B5 q5 O
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
$ G8 B' i/ |; M% D Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 S- L( P: o/ P Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
- M- Z, r- P0 o0 r that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
$ p: V$ J% e4 {0 [) k$ O! f3 z But because of actions.

: H" z' j# K; {9 j7 ?0 v6 M Our life's prayers our answered
1 O7 ~* O7 W. |7 a# Q% u Because even the smallest pebble
0 @$ C! e3 W3 T8 z7 i; V No matter how seemingly insignificant
. L! Y- f$ ~1 _- q Changes the course of the lives
  y; P" e' |& U; `3 V9 i Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
% p3 R, A: s2 }# o! H0 X# @ beckon our lasting attention
7 i. u  E" I" f& l2 L. d  c% i We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
9 c4 G% h$ m9 H9 ~3 G8 d, O" S) t because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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: H: ~; r. u' _7 H( O Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03