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.
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Heaven
  v0 k  ]0 J  Y( c The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* J. R/ p6 i# r A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
7 v7 E, C- h9 `* Z3 S1 K An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ |; `! U4 a4 r" D But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
5 C3 j) c" j- w7 z, K Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. O, y) K, }/ b Its insignificance is transformed
+ l& A: H5 O  j+ a  u2 ^/ K Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
/ H! r, k9 n4 Y0 A Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
- V6 a. F( X' M+ D8 y6 s- X Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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1 k* y' g, l6 ~3 O0 L% _3 ~; z The pebble creates its worth and meaning
9 o+ L3 s1 e+ D By unleashing its unimagined power?
" W; T7 U4 j( I Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  c6 a. {' f7 ?5 Y; O1 G Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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% b' r. D) R4 k# }6 ` Aren't we all pebbles?
1 l1 H+ A& i1 f+ n5 S2 b* \# ` Feeling small and insignificant
. d0 O- Q1 s9 q- [; Y. H But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
) F& ?) l6 ?" ? Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
0 M  p- h6 z) p% @5 W2 Q7 T! U6 Z' y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! S- T# T4 E" z- y Into the pond of life
, J, Q5 D' H0 \3 ^# v Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; t* A6 D; p9 v! X6 f* C Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
5 {1 L8 m, L3 W) Y Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
, |1 Z( Y7 o) E, E! O! P6 o7 @: } Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
. h: Y' L2 ^. i The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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$ k" b. I$ G! Q Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03