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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2 P6 V% E7 T) \% z0 L& o 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.

: _5 l: Q# j* P4 B Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
! X3 ?7 B9 l9 q. f  G: Y A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 n0 }. L" }8 o2 H, { An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 y* O8 c/ i; R: \0 {# h( x: t But just a very small stone.

# s! o. W' V1 G0 @& T5 L  B The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# C0 o; N# l/ B; W! G: w Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ z* k' H( g6 F* l9 o Its signature of concentric ripples
3 W- M5 |$ E0 T% o4 d3 d Spiral outwards
- h4 u% m5 n% a) v0 t' k Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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1 F, U% ^1 d8 F2 ]6 w- Q The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
6 k. I: g. m  f" o Creating karmic energy
. q" c! c( G) n& F Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
2 M5 j$ L, L" K8 c* ^$ O2 Z on a path into ourselves.
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. G* v) P* V3 R, Z9 @/ m It is true then:
Our everlasting future
+ ]4 Z: c8 }2 M! u. }9 f Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# N' I" j8 s4 S Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
+ ?0 ?6 M6 C  y  b# G, k Not because of thoughts
# W& {! B) r1 z: `! ~8 }" T not because of well meaning plans
. S3 [- w$ }9 r1 V But because of actions.
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$ ~) c4 j4 o* y3 c0 g% Q) C) V Our life's prayers our answered
1 h$ @4 o2 ~) u8 h9 w. R. } Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
( D6 ^$ I% `4 S0 G1 x; i; W' S Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
4 o! l6 \, ~  C: i/ P# S) r We will gently leave this life
# ~+ h/ d0 D# j: S% [1 | With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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+ k7 ^0 F2 {0 s" f- c And then we have heaven …
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0 J4 }3 j" a$ _ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03