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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3 Y2 n5 m  r: p0 W- k, i+ ^ Heaven
. ]0 ]3 Q" ~0 r  Y( D! ? The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
* V7 Y, L1 N8 V7 b  i) ? A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) L& q: c! I" R0 p A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
& T8 E2 W$ E2 K; [ 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
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
8 q, }: E; p# g; a' H; D 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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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
. m7 S9 J  p1 O% F) k% m$ F: A By unleashing its unimagined power?
- ?/ ^7 m" }3 E; q! Y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

( Q0 i/ A: o1 i0 [# h3 a( s3 t Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
! U; z- d& E( o. p+ y/ t 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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; b( w) f: h3 i8 v* V It is true then:
9 u9 C# K  }3 O0 ~" D' U Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
6 o" b1 @7 V  H; P2 F# S6 D4 L Into the pond of life
" O, |0 G: ^( Z) g Creating ripples
( v, C6 ^: p- R2 h, x that leave unique mark on our world
5 F8 U, o9 |3 W4 e6 T, ^ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% t: I" u+ n* a4 N9 [' a But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
' o0 I* F- u  J2 i7 c  R Because even the smallest pebble
2 t0 v( z; f. J. Q# _7 }' b No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
5 ~/ t& L4 q6 H Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
. s1 n8 e& X0 `+ T! g/ P beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
9 y4 L1 _" l* S0 U because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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  c0 l9 V& R8 V0 O+ M5 X& p3 r And then we have heaven …

7 j- j/ G2 f; t Ross Rosenberg
1 \6 A1 l- m3 E2 s& A) { 8/18/03