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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5 y& r# H) m  g  G+ i 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.

( O3 Y+ O) f* q; t9 u8 l/ w Heaven
" s; f  b. ^% v1 h The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
, }8 G* g3 U3 v# Z! _ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
/ o0 T, G/ M0 {2 f7 l6 O# c A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
1 K8 s: ~4 n0 m2 r An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
% A5 j: M9 m( s. n% r( `; W; X9 T Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
2 G4 V8 r6 Z" n. Q% t  D Spiral outwards
# \; t5 i2 n/ P1 W* n5 m Moving far beyond itself.
" I8 {, A4 {% |  O# K Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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2 T! k3 y9 r6 `0 D! E$ F  S: l The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
% l/ C' \. T* w4 ~% R% H5 P9 w Creating karmic energy
" V2 J- K5 }3 l2 }7 A2 i Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

$ N5 [' m4 t2 A* K% ?" t: r1 a Aren't we all pebbles?
6 J$ r( w; h' E. [$ V) a# A Feeling small and insignificant
+ T7 T' Z4 W% y" u% v% t9 J But ultimately recognizing
* @; {$ m$ h, q% F9 p5 i 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
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# O( ~/ X9 B6 s+ R: x* ~ Into the pond of life
1 Z. ?1 _0 a3 K Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
( J2 O; I. d. t2 z not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
: u7 C, Q, ?3 ^6 D  {: l No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
! D; [5 c' _& i" z1 s, k6 o1 z Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
" z- g1 I: ^5 H3 t6 W  [ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
$ K+ j6 V; X& v9 _ The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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2 Z7 ?  B9 z, L Ross Rosenberg
6 n/ q2 o/ r5 l 8/18/03