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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" {; r4 m: W9 ^& K Heaven
1 z, y8 B' b' y9 U5 J" } The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
! U: {1 U3 e) u6 N) Y9 B" C1 L) F2 p3 ? A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
0 Q5 M1 C( j( h8 ^4 ~( M) w% F0 i4 ] 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
6 E6 G% s+ Y5 U9 C+ F! ^6 e 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
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
# d: X6 r5 d: P: @* r, y' J Gently affecting everything in its wake
  R' W- A3 s+ l0 Z' o Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
) c( ~1 l* k1 F" K By unleashing its unimagined power?
& l$ L# y" h' n& B9 y, t6 f Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- x5 F1 B/ A/ {* ?( N Creating karmic energy
3 j3 X$ @5 n' B1 O Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

3 d" D" l3 x% ~" M$ ~ Aren't we all pebbles?
- j* P& T  J# m1 `5 @ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
4 k1 u) W  Q2 v0 \: j9 m That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
# x1 I; r0 V7 {; k Our everlasting future
7 ]5 v- V- s+ T) G4 \! e Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; L, \5 ~) u. W/ T5 \ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
; u9 v0 j; E" T0 U1 M not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
& a! ^4 p. ~2 D  O8 s$ \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
# \3 o8 H, q$ ~1 i+ F& { beckon our lasting attention
1 S- ^, |2 S- z- E" A3 _# K' U- s0 T; b We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
3 m  G' V" _$ b5 o/ y( K- h because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

9 n2 A4 [% z; L6 H/ N4 v And then we have heaven …
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6 q3 {# X4 y0 u1 G; j2 y* y5 Y Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03