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.

Heaven
/ U, ?3 L" i( [6 @  K/ }' r The pebble is worn smooth
3 K2 i( v9 T0 D Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
& s* a9 f: V  }- m! W4 F A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
. {4 ^: e% `' ]; M. F3 p! ` An accidental offspring of a boulder
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
% E/ C3 Z5 @& Q+ r+ Q, H% Y Its insignificance is transformed
. u8 k1 p$ {7 I1 `. {. m- Q' o% v Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; |0 c9 V3 c2 b( I The instant the pebble kisses the pond
5 Y7 a2 H8 u: f& _  A1 c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
9 F/ D5 X: l  N Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
* O/ p  [+ x# B, Y& o9 L& q Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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  Q" B6 |, O9 t( Q- u The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
( v; R. [+ k( r2 p/ T Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 i/ I. A; F& M5 O+ C3 S$ a Creating karmic energy
7 X) v: `3 z8 Q# k Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# J6 T3 D7 X/ S! a But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, k. b+ C$ X  S: z3 s2 v on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
2 Z; |/ P* @/ _  e2 [ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
) x# W/ ]. E& a1 S& j Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
' n) ~8 _  o" ?4 B  R8 X Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
5 `3 [9 U! L# y8 Q, Q$ c8 z But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
# o) M0 L9 }/ t" m) i! T( P No matter how seemingly insignificant
: f  I% V  L1 N! R+ ] Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

# R8 s2 B" D2 u8 H& j- }) k And when the icy winds of death
! Q4 C( F& ?6 s! B$ P( H! x beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
& ^& t; b  j7 g; t. {- o With the knowledge that
& _# V" C9 [1 r. K) l. g because of that one pebble
/ V  J2 Y! U2 ^, V' m The world will never be the same.
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: l5 x# R; |, D/ K And then we have heaven …

5 n8 Y, Z" ^" e# A0 `7 r Ross Rosenberg
: i) y! T4 [  p 8/18/03