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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) l; y1 J8 w) U# q( q' H Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 @7 g0 G' v4 t  Q- t4 G2 F An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

8 x3 [7 D! e  O' u& Q8 X; ^ The pebble's place in our world
- r! O2 i( F  X6 M Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 l# i3 E! R# E. I Its insignificance is transformed
) j4 O4 Q+ M( Z' w Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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, Y7 j4 C; u" R3 `: @3 R- M The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
; H* o/ I7 Z7 p1 h7 y6 O Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
/ a  V+ N! a9 ^ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 b7 u: I9 w# _# a6 ~# w Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
! b* v- O1 b8 L  A+ }; i Feeling small and insignificant
# R% l. f3 o6 s+ C& i& O, g- f But ultimately recognizing
: _4 G: c# Y  }8 C That who we are meant to be
/ N' b0 e2 Q- b( G' Z Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

, D8 e* f9 Q: o0 {3 n It is true then:
  p( o, }9 _3 P0 F3 T1 @5 U2 T& ] Our everlasting future
, g' I" F- C8 O8 b Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
( l% D; Q. L& R; l/ e; @( j# H Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
2 ?0 Z% S* E6 _5 F6 ^ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
" Q8 Q% v" d! P0 z, o But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
4 l8 _5 {; d  S No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
5 N" @% y: ^+ T. S$ o* k Of those we touch.?
6 [, S+ k1 N9 K8 d; {/ K
+ g3 P9 W/ t' K5 @ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
9 k; C. g; |: \ We will gently leave this life
5 ^, v+ d* T& s! j9 a/ O, w With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03