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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/ \, `8 L+ m" X2 g" o 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.

( h# D* ~9 M% p  N( y5 T Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 J0 s' V2 N7 N. ~$ Q1 f% h( |; K0 S- B A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
% k8 T% a: Z' ?: ^
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
  ~* C! C# G) J$ g0 R But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
& P# U9 J" O& M8 Z' e. p Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

$ Y7 [1 `9 _* s8 Z4 W: Q0 J The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
. D$ z! Q; w* M/ d% G Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
* E6 e  O: N7 _* ]0 e By unleashing its unimagined power?
% d# z2 G6 x0 e, q Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
2 O5 ^) H( h. T1 g2 T5 \" E0 b Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
! Z6 y% w# y) a( z/ c# G
Aren't we all pebbles?
  C7 R8 T" Z6 k$ z1 ` Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
0 U1 V4 q& ^/ E4 Q# b That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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/ c' {1 S7 K1 X7 b; w It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
" A3 j3 X( L9 X1 t  O( O6 T Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
5 a. t, P3 b2 z# r2 R+ [ Not because of thoughts
( \" T, C! C3 V9 ?: u4 g' s7 O& p1 n7 ? not because of well meaning plans
4 ]& C0 Y) \. K( C" B! d6 a But because of actions.

( d- @1 _- R8 U Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
! `5 Y7 A- {- E4 y, B$ j  j No matter how seemingly insignificant
( i4 N5 d" P! S! u Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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: N- m2 P3 t  y5 p And when the icy winds of death
  c0 U, Q! z% i0 j4 o7 a) m. p beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
% u# p/ E7 A4 W7 z- v2 { because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03