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.

6 S8 p; T+ A8 O( A Heaven
+ V5 k3 G2 O1 @( n1 s The pebble is worn smooth
2 T1 T9 {$ `# c: g* b Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' i2 h' V6 a" X4 N% E A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
' |* @  K( e6 _9 B6 l8 a+ ~" {+ J An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 N& O0 A, t( y6 r But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 y, ?) U6 ^# M; Y* |9 |5 v! x; f Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
& |) ~+ n  A; k6 F; B0 W6 r& u# `: V Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 C9 |6 s6 i3 F$ l" Q, b1 [ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
( G# T3 M3 r& f  e. o7 j Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
  m  W- }. i; f* v8 q9 y- M
8 o3 z4 q6 Y, H* d Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
3 k0 U6 {8 Y( D1 N, v7 Z9 i2 K But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
" F! z3 p6 }, ~( I on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
2 ?8 T' s, q5 `8 V Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
" N. ^: v) L8 C$ _7 F5 C Into the pond of life
: p( j9 v, {$ i: w8 ?' |: n Creating ripples
& q7 s$ K! H4 }' v6 y, N3 I that leave unique mark on our world
" A5 N9 U9 ]- K) }$ F Not because of thoughts
  g  t  M" |9 ~! w* `: F not because of well meaning plans
) u7 W. C2 i& ^, _6 p But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  w/ z$ }, j: j8 E3 ~ No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 c1 K2 @* I& l4 x& v3 L0 m Changes the course of the lives
5 z" y: [0 v; M( J Of those we touch.?
1 \! k$ r- y$ ?: }+ ~. h- `* F
+ r- W7 P+ |. i$ r9 m& S, R And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
1 O8 O# G" L6 b  _' h We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
/ |1 q; s/ R! } because of that one pebble
2 T' u& y7 `1 V$ d6 ^  T) Q The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03