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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
) _/ b" O9 P- N* w7 S 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
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
3 j) c9 P5 {  }3 g# N2 Y$ r# }) D But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- G) F0 X9 w! K Its insignificance is transformed
0 o- ^# V2 S8 ^9 ~3 f  @ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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5 y! t% k' a- D" m$ `% Q( M The instant the pebble kisses the pond
0 w- @+ k$ V3 v+ ?. @: z3 ~: L* c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
: l- Y6 L4 j0 V! D$ V9 F3 r) i3 g Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

5 U$ S' i9 _0 y) v/ Q/ n The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 `9 O3 a) n3 U By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 d5 V$ M0 }* g7 L" u8 N6 F, ` Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
9 ?" h: P) x1 N Feeling small and insignificant
2 t; T0 |2 s) Q: L7 V7 X( c6 w But ultimately recognizing
* l7 r4 V5 {) [# d" P1 W That who we are meant to be
: U' c$ t) Z5 J Can never be measured in isolation
0 o3 w6 |3 ~7 S# H! f on a path into ourselves.

( G# i0 K  J8 t0 | It is true then:
Our everlasting future
% O. h1 I! g; Y9 K5 l  L; | Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 ^! O3 l8 n4 g Into the pond of life
6 a2 z( f* N! |9 y2 h$ z0 N$ u Creating ripples
  A8 B( `0 O, ~9 Q& F, C that leave unique mark on our world
# [2 M/ v8 X+ s0 s4 t6 y Not because of thoughts
$ O# \" w0 M9 m3 K, D2 u not because of well meaning plans
4 Y& ^1 t' `. n, t$ U1 g8 o6 y% i2 H But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
- K' V5 V9 p7 C; t, w7 @8 R  v1 H Because even the smallest pebble
# }4 o. W! c$ D( }) E/ }) d3 c. ~3 f4 S! z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
( y" j5 k: f! Y Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
& z) T- l3 i. \* M We will gently leave this life
, O, ]: q3 a, f4 z With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
: x( F* J) l6 |# H+ V7 C 8/18/03