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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
# G1 V; h* t# o But just a very small stone.

! ^" h3 G% F2 Z" p# h2 G: e The pebble's place in our world
3 f$ ?* U! M. s Is neither understood nor appreciated
) @& j' p% N+ P  ^0 k- ? But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
2 c5 [  a  m8 G Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
' q/ S7 u3 V/ d" u: H! b
0 y! i( b( Y0 v' u) h The instant the pebble kisses the pond
3 D# ^/ s2 w8 h5 ~1 w Its signature of concentric ripples
. C2 Q5 [# a# ^2 b: i+ g! Z2 u' |: A Spiral outwards
4 z* Q: W* R( S- |1 D) y5 d Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
3 f) W' q* q/ J, J
  D- g3 b$ |! C' X, E0 \2 K The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
! t, V% o2 `8 I/ | Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! v+ L. i5 Z, b" _: K, Y. d Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
  i* D# e: S2 O, v6 M! L Feeling small and insignificant
0 A) B2 l6 t* I  P* D But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
7 g) L* S, `3 T2 c$ b on a path into ourselves.

" d" ]5 Z& M7 J4 @1 K- m6 _ It is true then:
. O, ], {, x: s+ Z! X Our everlasting future
- H9 r+ {. p9 n6 l, I0 f+ r Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
1 ~# b2 n9 [7 a0 s8 r2 [4 } Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
) ~/ k& g5 F1 c) }1 B7 a0 t# Z; F not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
* N: S# f, [: F Because even the smallest pebble
+ o9 n7 F- Q6 K% c No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
1 }3 [3 b8 F( B2 b# N6 K
0 e; Y' W# Y& J% Y And when the icy winds of death
: f& `* S2 W% C& F0 K6 S  n$ G beckon our lasting attention
) z- J3 r6 U. q" B- G& ~ We will gently leave this life
0 L0 J- L# z; S" S/ a With the knowledge that
, Y! N% Z  g7 k0 o because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

5 d5 F$ Y! A% q% D& }' @ Ross Rosenberg
+ V3 B! N% H" ?' h7 O  h# U 8/18/03