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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  {' G4 L3 t& B, a# j9 L8 u 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
% t+ O8 X* C8 H The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
6 |# ?" h6 q7 f  R1 s/ [  W( p; x1 F/ { A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. C7 r/ Z$ t5 O  ]/ {* P A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 b) ^/ j' Y" o/ M6 Q  n* v An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 N1 W( }7 e6 p' f. {4 c2 Z2 b# K But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
8 x# h# d, R8 ~! t6 _ Spiral outwards
9 ]) e! g; L# q" \8 g: C2 H Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 _% O& Y: y# x  N; V" A Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  v8 o( z/ u+ Q( }; @ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

8 r, D% X; I* l. D$ I Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
/ G, R2 x2 r3 z" E' \ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
4 y/ v8 J- H6 A+ \9 s5 B" g on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 ~6 F+ P4 d0 }* q" |7 q% p+ D( q4 b Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
: g/ C  U/ w" { Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
( H  o9 }/ R4 Z& l. D' Z But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
* B& ^! _1 |2 L  Z& n, } Because even the smallest pebble
& M1 ]( \5 z3 s0 H4 @5 [ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
  b% Z# X: g) |9 K Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
* d" p1 u1 A# E( |1 J2 c With the knowledge that
* H. d8 A. s8 B. b because of that one pebble
" l* \- G' b# ~  a# G The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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8 _; G7 N4 ~1 m* |: ~. K! {* w% i Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03