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.

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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" W  c& V0 B- ]7 c- _6 ? Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
0 [' b5 u! o7 \. W. F0 d: S7 i A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
1 f* K' c6 c3 w. Q* Z+ @
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
2 S4 \/ m2 g6 l6 \' i' ~1 `) S Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

" _+ T# ]: L  O' Y1 o6 ? The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
+ k8 b2 I8 E+ D: j$ G4 p* D! M Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
  m, R: {) C4 ^ Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 K7 {) J7 T( g" a& |# C: }1 @ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

9 T8 e' k( T( y! O; ? Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

4 f7 W' @# H$ Z" X+ B* [ It is true then:
Our everlasting future
& V6 z+ d2 d5 s* J7 i1 p! _ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* D0 U9 Q: c5 a  a7 h Into the pond of life
1 U6 k2 f( \( K1 o9 P+ l$ W Creating ripples
% Y/ v0 o5 T8 a that leave unique mark on our world
+ y! y' O% j. w& n Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
8 v: S3 J% Z/ @3 {* f' h7 N$ b But because of actions.
4 P3 d% [& x8 t% c4 ~. ]
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 |( z9 n, C" q Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

' N, k* D% y6 f; N) U And when the icy winds of death
: M( b: ]1 ^9 ^ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
# b" S6 n. j) S/ r7 l7 H3 U. g The world will never be the same.

! J) ~2 Y2 W# o And then we have heaven …
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% ^! c' Q( U8 e' i2 s Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03