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.

Heaven
' c" Q( J6 |8 c0 c- h The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
, g" B1 H7 |0 }# U* s# ~  E2 V A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
& ~1 k/ C  s/ K7 \! P+ ?8 G An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

( O( n  z$ s5 g3 D, g; P! {4 R# t! E The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
, ~" ~0 H" P- w6 d: r But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

& r, ?: A- o* j0 z& ?+ S1 l The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
1 _2 p' u& n+ q9 d Spiral outwards
0 s7 c: \, L* n Moving far beyond itself.
$ X1 G: u1 m" G/ G; ?6 P4 G Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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2 o0 a% Q& Y! B) \% z' h. j( c The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% }1 ~& B" X" P By unleashing its unimagined power?
% v1 [5 D3 X" r5 D- r( W Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 B6 |, g# Y8 y: Z! g4 w Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
6 J" I6 g4 o1 Q5 U6 u9 Y
Aren't we all pebbles?
; K: ?8 v0 u* E& u Feeling small and insignificant
. l8 `; x3 u9 `' ^5 Z: X But ultimately recognizing
0 y5 F- @7 h8 I/ K) } That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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3 I' u5 @. f; R, O+ W9 [) q2 Q! ] It is true then:
' J+ ~$ |; B9 F* \; F& d& Z Our everlasting future
# `0 D- }( A. |* D7 Q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
4 v# `; k; f1 v$ L- \- Y* r Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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. \! X9 ?3 p5 Y Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
$ R3 k7 U1 }$ Z No matter how seemingly insignificant
, m6 `9 Y% M) e Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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: P+ \3 `# \" G: X And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
% F1 r0 q( G/ I  q( L% U We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
6 q  z3 i' Y3 p% g% f1 e The world will never be the same.

. M' o, K. b1 a) V And then we have heaven …

9 q0 j8 `2 o) W& p Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03