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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: X' d( Z( n- J- y6 x Heaven
" G. A" @4 u; D, ~# p The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
4 U0 o8 H8 r' F! S) p+ F5 U A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 {  f# f* \# z. p! _7 Y, |+ E" L1 N An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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( ?( I) B. |- c' p% E0 j The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* l' ~+ o- {6 ^3 }2 N# C3 B Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 b! m' b7 ?4 L2 Q2 w- @( p" L Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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  ?( u' L1 w2 i. s* h4 s The pebble creates its worth and meaning
8 x, |) l( G, {1 A' H* {. N6 Z By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' a+ K* I6 Z  Z) w0 C Creating karmic energy
+ ?4 _5 R; x3 V5 y; f" m4 b3 @ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# o1 F  o: ^* Z2 y But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
& F) c  E$ U. _+ Q) N6 z Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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) g8 u% f, m* a& |# \7 E6 r8 F It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! F/ i& i2 z9 r! n- C" C Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
- `' e! m4 z5 E3 Y9 n0 f% \ But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
1 Y( R( X' ]$ W$ g& S Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 G0 [/ B+ o- ~3 y9 f8 P- Z8 ] Changes the course of the lives
* `! J5 V- v+ [% J: ? Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
* F0 R& c. `; b0 G We will gently leave this life
' Y0 e0 o& O; t3 }4 R With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
3 t, X$ \9 Y: C- \" C. g The world will never be the same.
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; E# K  ?0 L" B3 M) J8 R) o And then we have heaven …
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. ^. k. P5 e% G: Q( g* \. X Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03