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 r$ ~, H9 t* j 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.

: X* X4 b8 P- d- E Heaven
8 |/ x5 W. E- p6 F3 d4 i The pebble is worn smooth
6 I- g  E1 {1 S Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 I9 k( s+ }: G! H6 G  [7 t An accidental offspring of a boulder
- U) P+ @1 _) y But just a very small stone.
0 s7 k( G( t- D
The pebble's place in our world
4 V2 L$ d$ K' g0 n2 x1 [2 _ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

1 E  L, I7 d& ^5 u4 b- V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
7 ^7 m9 q5 o  K, U6 L Spiral outwards
: c" ?/ C, n/ k/ g7 \ Moving far beyond itself.
: y  b; H! U8 Z! _* w$ M8 V0 A Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 J8 D6 F3 Y1 I% v. C2 O5 w/ e Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
; D" A! _3 K- R: j1 Q; K' m By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ s' j% X# m0 w  I; P* [" U8 `( [ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" L8 M7 I6 J" v3 W) Z4 C Creating karmic energy
' L" E3 G) l7 a; ] Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
: _2 ~* x" p* P/ O% U  b6 n% k But ultimately recognizing
8 K. x# M# n& \3 N That who we are meant to be
9 m3 O) @/ P0 t4 H8 n/ g9 J% u, L Can never be measured in isolation
: ^" Y2 \8 m* i1 u# r on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
5 y$ A# f* }5 T9 v, a Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
6 [' E- c5 r) @. F7 G4 ]$ B  P Creating ripples
( E$ {+ S$ ]+ |  \ that leave unique mark on our world
3 W6 p) X: J; K- N8 P4 o Not because of thoughts
: D9 f, ]4 H7 n" ~! ] not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

5 a7 H. j7 E0 ?+ O. p+ ] Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
, ?% A$ b+ d" w# W- w Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
( R( _& a, Y; k) p0 ] beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
5 }2 S  ]7 l. e/ ]1 _  X The world will never be the same.

9 V. M' x% |0 T. D) k& T' |" f+ S* X And then we have heaven …
: D- u% J& k: X, a* T0 ^0 o& K* r
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03