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.

% H+ O: d5 c% ?; a; ]% d8 ^ Heaven
. u. g0 y  }( r The pebble is worn smooth
. |# K9 z. Q- l! N- r Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 k  c  w2 E7 A8 h: H A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
. z- s* `3 X& t1 Y+ q An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

2 `7 `! C, t+ m0 s% g The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
# N' v1 `0 b) o5 |0 i But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% t: ?$ i; P  t3 C& v3 J5 U% |, } Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

0 d: o' H( V5 L  ^& `; h! R2 r' [ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
1 A) q9 Q( e$ x/ n* c* n Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
+ h! E1 W# Q2 z' F Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

# n' C1 |, N/ y2 t( B The pebble creates its worth and meaning
. v4 V9 t# U* Y; t4 v3 X. K By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 c9 p. c. n: {/ d; g+ I0 b Into a dueling force of action and reaction
/ z4 X" n6 X  _ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
; t8 @+ |# P. Y$ S
. l( A2 x# w& h! D+ P Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
" ~0 S0 t: t. S) |: |" } Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
9 c# Q& L/ Y3 O9 A Our everlasting future
0 i0 G! j' L, D7 g  n' Y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 Z( ^1 U7 j" B# C Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
4 W9 ^0 B) T5 q2 T, n; t Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

" a  B' ~/ a9 w! W  m Our life's prayers our answered
) N$ `9 T( T3 J% j  |! S5 H Because even the smallest pebble
* A8 X) u4 `0 L3 x! a No matter how seemingly insignificant
' W8 f+ _/ |5 h$ v( ? Changes the course of the lives
. a. ~5 `: M+ }# y" Y Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, ]+ }6 Z2 e2 F4 Y4 m0 V We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
% v- t2 D' N( t5 L0 L because of that one pebble
( _! X7 I$ }  |4 { The world will never be the same.

% U0 h+ O' P/ E/ z6 T And then we have heaven …
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) G% {+ G7 O% D$ E, P. } Ross Rosenberg
7 Z. \# N" X9 v# ^0 U! l- Z6 b 8/18/03