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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1 k  L, F7 Q8 ] 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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" |% F0 A- n# a/ e; v Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
  \" ]$ S+ {' A9 } Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 h- o0 s: A5 ^5 B0 f A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
$ l, b7 b8 d. M An accidental offspring of a boulder
2 j, \# o. K; I& O6 y But just a very small stone.

( j: ^) p9 K0 {) O The pebble's place in our world
8 A' s0 @$ s& L; y5 |  U) | Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
0 Q5 G# J' L4 @2 @ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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- v* i- c" p; N6 i2 n, e- `0 C The pebble creates its worth and meaning
0 z6 Y2 m- O" ^9 p- L By unleashing its unimagined power?
# |$ P4 x( U( {" Z4 W Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ I: B* I+ P9 U/ X% {% P Creating karmic energy
+ p9 g7 E5 F  I Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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, |3 p, V5 \$ u' Q) B Aren't we all pebbles?
4 H1 b( R2 V. ^7 K& D Feeling small and insignificant
9 D- _/ `0 g) ^. V( b But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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2 V) V# w/ E  U2 M It is true then:
4 D% R7 Y* w, K. h3 h! N6 I) q0 r% ~ Our everlasting future
1 O5 O; f7 H$ {6 O( [4 Y; u+ T Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! @% r) l$ n, I& T Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
4 M! d9 [; N5 L% W# i) h* v. L. \: v& I( A that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
; E5 L) o: ?! c2 \8 l/ g- V But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
0 @. J$ E+ t# g5 h3 R- ?. z' G Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
$ Q9 `! i9 Q  ^ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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" d* X( @6 U' T: }5 {3 r And then we have heaven …

% y1 L( }) S3 u, V( `" ? Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03