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
( ~4 q, V! i+ d4 \ The pebble is worn smooth
4 t4 b8 b, V% Y& B 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
5 P6 X2 g- P; h7 O But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ M) }; l* H2 \% @1 \" K; c) v But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 Z9 `0 P, R! B% N1 O Its insignificance is transformed
1 b/ V  `. G% k4 I, u- F3 @ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ t; J6 u1 l' k1 X Its signature of concentric ripples
8 U# v+ H+ ?  {4 H Spiral outwards
. O4 k$ H8 Y+ A  T8 G- k Moving far beyond itself.
) x+ i3 k  W$ S! U/ y2 }3 } Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 o; Q+ G( {, P% { Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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9 C2 U& b0 L/ `! R The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! x% m* A( K" B5 E: b By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# R# _/ H4 `0 U. p/ P1 l Creating karmic energy
& g  c7 N% z! H- q" w" J Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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: T% R. Y" R- v7 P Aren't we all pebbles?
4 O% v, u+ V1 G' d  t7 k2 Y0 W Feeling small and insignificant
8 q- e) y" }) R* Y0 d9 N4 B# _: u But ultimately recognizing
9 I. d, g. W9 |, V1 r That who we are meant to be
1 N4 F% v* S0 f. I Can never be measured in isolation
" p* u6 B) i# ~" f/ L. u on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
8 F: L1 R* d) u# J6 |. l6 A Our everlasting future
8 W' R5 {9 @" }# q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
7 v8 R7 r/ ]' B7 ~/ m Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
! i6 n! q; f0 z) W' Y, J( i' B0 x Not because of thoughts
- W" e4 X+ p2 B: ^: \) d& T not because of well meaning plans
1 W0 @) ~) l1 l! v# b( E8 i But because of actions.
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6 U, X5 b( Y; H. f# E. m1 j Our life's prayers our answered
% o9 J/ F2 H" M Because even the smallest pebble
5 @1 o9 o( _9 C: `* {) Z, n* e No matter how seemingly insignificant
, E! f9 G+ E0 ~9 f1 q Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
7 K: X- S( a& M# A We will gently leave this life
+ R; E0 {% i4 M, _ With the knowledge that
0 P0 m4 A/ n2 Y* T2 D, [% D. ^( a* B because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
3 g% b" H0 q8 a6 ~ 8/18/03