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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$ Z5 A/ o6 q5 M! i 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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" c6 `! |( S) y$ a" t+ `! f Heaven
. L9 l3 z7 m% ~: b: u5 D+ i+ J  ] The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
7 P/ j- I* `4 v$ ?1 e% z8 s1 j) J A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
( Z6 P  s% ]1 H4 H3 d But just a very small stone.
. X. F- k' |- N9 y7 f% {8 q# w! X3 k
The pebble's place in our world
5 ?- }0 B& p" I+ A% s* e3 y7 ^ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

& j- e0 \6 \: F  Z2 R The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
. R- X$ f7 `/ J0 Q Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
  N$ o! ~: d+ H$ h6 [, ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

, @. e( g$ |7 W) s Aren't we all pebbles?
# R5 ]+ J: G5 Q# r6 W Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
/ X, c1 B( K" u6 J) k+ y4 Z That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
5 |  D/ d& q! q3 t) g2 e0 ~ on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
. T& |5 e8 a. c8 Y3 c6 g1 z9 M& } Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
: L, u+ H5 y2 Z/ j0 O Creating ripples
# E0 M: ^+ ~0 o that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
  t& g8 H( C3 R0 I% h  n But because of actions.

6 B) j9 H2 A$ r  n) q Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
; K" Q8 b' e' T/ @- M: I$ P$ g1 \+ e No matter how seemingly insignificant
7 W' e2 J- f- }; v+ U! I Changes the course of the lives
; W& t) ^& }3 }! A5 ~! P$ Z Of those we touch.?

2 K, w9 J  A) e And when the icy winds of death
+ P1 d5 Q/ ?# S6 \% m9 O beckon our lasting attention
$ d/ a% E& T. f. r5 G* F9 k We will gently leave this life
8 e. n9 U, }, o* E- W5 Q* u- O With the knowledge that
0 N6 _! p  b0 k  p6 x0 a because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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% [7 z/ ~+ b8 W4 z8 s! \& j Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03