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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 F% [+ H# S9 O4 S  Z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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+ B- i+ |/ h7 _2 y The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
; n( I  A) e1 a& R9 O But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- q3 t" C7 G$ ^0 d! V, A( w  c Its insignificance is transformed
' f+ j, G$ e% K Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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+ Z$ b/ A; a: o The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; ?  u0 J! A* W4 i) Q+ e+ \ Its signature of concentric ripples
% }# K9 c" y( V2 V0 ~1 w0 R Spiral outwards
& Y( _: q$ j* q; F Moving far beyond itself.
2 H0 t- j% K6 J: g% P( c7 B% V Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

7 }8 C* N5 V' X/ T% L5 m+ s The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
# z/ p; E8 j0 m  G2 q) x1 P* P Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) y. _5 Z# [9 t+ ? Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

5 f1 |3 S) C3 W$ b- M Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
4 y2 q6 P  Z+ U; `1 q But ultimately recognizing
: A" R( e3 N+ _( G7 L4 l5 f That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ d' h, @6 q' t on a path into ourselves.
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" e/ j7 c7 A9 `( Y! N  A It is true then:
Our everlasting future
! x3 |( P/ c# L8 P9 s! e2 k Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 f/ x/ a' g( [8 K! Z Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
9 r2 T5 e  g" Z* l0 k% E: E that leave unique mark on our world
0 Y  P$ |1 [5 ]/ w Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
" F5 ~& k7 c# e4 ] But because of actions.

7 P3 I+ t! r+ P* F( `& e2 D1 E Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 m: u4 V. T8 e8 z+ V# @1 h* V, e Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
  a# A' Z9 a$ ] We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
4 I+ P9 G" A: W8 b4 a6 P The world will never be the same.

8 H5 d( f+ z8 s* ]" q/ ~ And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
1 }2 |5 e: i% g 8/18/03