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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$ Z2 Z3 ]8 I5 r$ ^ Heaven
; I* b& D+ ?3 u$ L3 d, {+ v The pebble is worn smooth
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
' @2 V8 Q/ L7 g( Z* A! L6 Y+ I But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 e! e9 \. B& Q, B, L4 ^: f But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& W8 X. Q( D- Y! Z1 @ Its insignificance is transformed
4 G+ j+ U$ ~6 `( o4 w, w/ }8 Z9 ~ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 P2 m: ]1 [$ f; q. { Gently affecting everything in its wake
' w3 Y  J% W3 T' z! U1 {! ? Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

1 E3 n, z$ o& N1 J, w8 \* I The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; a0 Q# {8 ~! y& b8 k Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
7 D6 f3 S0 x* |& m9 p/ s" N! d  j But ultimately recognizing
" a. x, t' ?: _ 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:
Our everlasting future
' o/ s& u$ x: _& ? Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
' _3 @# `4 C* E: h+ W Creating ripples
  u# o; W3 z7 d7 T' j that leave unique mark on our world
! F2 i; i3 h: Z* I Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
  p7 ~  o- d" `; O; X But because of actions.
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& L* @5 ^" B3 u Our life's prayers our answered
; V* {5 {5 t! |9 Y Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
2 a& s7 |% _5 w. K5 x! E* k% J Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
5 y. }$ v9 _9 d( A beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
* h( f+ @: M! v6 @ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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. p' x2 N2 \6 r5 q And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
  @# R; J& p5 V1 { 8/18/03