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.
6 U- M. R6 V+ V6 k
9 E+ C8 P2 M8 J: P Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
' x9 g- r3 f* a0 o A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
2 `2 h) w! [$ c% j2 d4 a* {
3 T$ ^, t, ~3 m. ~+ P 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.

" K* Y2 \- w, j3 {+ @ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
  ?3 [! R6 }) K, C% | Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
6 |! V- g2 o# K  b) Y! h; g Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

! S8 A2 C4 D& a5 ]$ d& P: x6 P* P The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 p1 B4 l0 ~$ e8 P/ D Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
3 L! E9 _+ W% r/ \9 E2 W# ?$ } Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
  O3 I" T7 v+ Z0 _ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
6 A' j1 g0 i. h; z9 \ Creating ripples
* g  y) H  L+ ^& f4 u% E4 j that leave unique mark on our world
6 V/ h+ ?( b4 U6 W Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
& d# v* \/ N0 _1 m9 }# i But because of actions.

% n5 f7 K6 c0 y  ~ Our life's prayers our answered
+ u* ?; Y# A6 l# } Because even the smallest pebble
6 E. L) w2 j: w$ B; Q( d No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 N5 t4 ~* m# F! g6 P& W: Z+ p' L( V: H Changes the course of the lives
9 q4 y1 G$ h, D Of those we touch.?
0 [5 D$ O8 A9 @4 y
5 ~5 r" k3 f4 A& U4 _ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
& s! Q! f9 L- A% {4 d6 Q, l The world will never be the same.
% a4 T/ O. k( _' J; J1 r+ D  S
) T# b6 `3 S% \) \' ?4 o$ o And then we have heaven …

6 h9 t7 m7 _, U, F- K4 b Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03