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.

2 e( D' w" f+ Z; W3 U; h1 I6 S+ H 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.
9 R1 z- }* r6 ?2 ~
Heaven
* P, ]. S' ~9 p& z/ _0 I1 k The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
* a- V) H  y& G+ x But just a very small stone.
$ m3 Y  s$ o: \! S
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
: f1 A; w7 G' |) K6 Z, ]) \ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 C6 M+ X; }' n! y+ d Its insignificance is transformed
7 m1 _( O. l! K/ ~1 N4 G; L/ S, q0 E' A Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  b  ]9 K- }$ M# f Its signature of concentric ripples
6 [: w! T; K+ X9 v0 |" [# M Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

+ z; ]9 B  [- l# i8 z9 V6 L The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
; c3 V* `: T  s- J/ w, j Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; l$ t3 D6 O1 r# u" w5 s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
/ X# ?; y. ^! b9 b% s/ K0 T% k- {& ~ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
, d. ~+ f* H, ^) N4 w/ ` Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 f# F0 e2 U# b8 L0 I/ C Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
/ W. b( B2 a7 U& h; H& ^. ~7 \& }0 { But because of actions.

; h4 U3 g  t5 |1 @. }2 N. ]9 } Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
7 c' j2 ^7 H3 C" N8 l0 m( i No matter how seemingly insignificant
2 Z3 _' n& s) S' ]5 f Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
; `6 z; M0 \5 H With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

3 E$ T; c4 L- q& B! [ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03