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.

) ]9 W; {3 U& s5 p: r/ x! g 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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3 [. x# q& W! Q Heaven
$ J$ ~" L  \% a8 Q The pebble is worn smooth
9 i" \: V& t# k5 O Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
# W' \( A) w5 @! h An accidental offspring of a boulder
' V9 E/ Q2 m( ^( N, l6 Y$ f3 _ But just a very small stone.

" _1 y3 G  {3 Y2 ~: S% b2 l0 a The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 m9 ]: s+ u9 T7 ]7 u( g Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# a2 m5 d9 W% G; o+ W, _% d Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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- A! ^: R# F& ?0 b+ q$ P1 z' x% I The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
. W7 M9 |- m9 X2 P; q. T+ T3 u; p( E Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
& B1 e5 ]: t9 f Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
+ f; t# t; D2 g* ]  t. T2 J But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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$ M1 f  i, w: A% ~- ]& ? It is true then:
Our everlasting future
' S% F# A1 C, W Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
2 }8 l- O& m( d7 x1 ^ that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: W# p2 m+ B2 D+ @1 V0 r0 g But because of actions.
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9 C$ {8 G7 {% H' y/ F Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 J* C$ H2 C" a+ E) |1 J Changes the course of the lives
$ J' ^) b1 c* z. h# I+ i' ?% ? Of those we touch.?
( {( J; p( p2 s1 i; N' E
- q$ c  C* T2 v5 B+ |% j And when the icy winds of death
+ V# s# {  c( @! ?' Z# i. s beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
+ J% j, b, Y7 w  j/ Q because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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" r$ o3 e5 A3 Q, r' ^9 U And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03