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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) H% s% w' z' t, B1 Y/ F# F% s) S- S 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.

Heaven
- @( J6 y& F; H& e; U9 ^ The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 p6 P" S: z- N& N A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 n3 u9 X4 p7 a9 U  M An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 g/ {  V) C: t- X/ D But just a very small stone.
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, \0 M; B0 J; ]' \; k" v3 g, ?, z/ | The pebble's place in our world
# X! `% y. ^, H* `* b Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
8 m4 K( f' v$ A2 _, A, O, q4 {  h Its insignificance is transformed
3 y' P# }. `( I8 D4 i1 `% I8 }0 G6 f Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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* ?. L$ D- @2 W The instant the pebble kisses the pond
& e% k% `4 q$ L1 ?$ s Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
; O: S: w4 N6 q( V8 u" E3 v% t Gently affecting everything in its wake
! V* V/ g2 I& M8 L Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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0 u& r! O& A1 ]$ v) J, G) L; I The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
0 }8 c! b7 }- @  C Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

+ m- w5 [) V0 F Aren't we all pebbles?
9 x9 {5 ^% v; G1 A6 X Feeling small and insignificant
4 E7 O2 g) V6 o: y0 i- {" g& s, n: A! Q But ultimately recognizing
( t5 {0 I2 U8 M! @  I) j" @ That who we are meant to be
6 T& Z( s& Y) L5 ] Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

" g, b$ C( ~0 [. b% g7 e It is true then:
Our everlasting future
7 v; b+ F: K+ W Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
3 j" J( ?  Z! M: j$ q that leave unique mark on our world
6 M  h! \2 s7 H! H9 c8 E Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
$ T9 J& n  I' j7 T But because of actions.
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- \* e1 x& N5 ^& r- D1 W Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
, ]( o  x, @# e Changes the course of the lives
0 _7 w$ j5 d3 R2 R8 Y$ U Of those we touch.?
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! }; I- X6 n% y( R! j; Q0 B1 T5 O1 D And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
6 N% a( m" B( }  Q+ ^$ J because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

5 [" ]$ |9 l, w0 i- i And then we have heaven …
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* |) D# u2 _1 n! M Ross Rosenberg
  h: E* v; L2 t3 M 8/18/03