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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. g$ u$ k- I! t 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.
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Heaven
$ c' J4 `0 _7 L+ \' k The pebble is worn smooth
0 K2 Z# S  J! O( b) ? Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
; s( f7 I$ A9 U1 j A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
( D) s( |# |1 a3 | But just a very small stone.
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; }# b9 s( G5 v0 Z The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
1 G# A) j+ z6 S* c" R6 B: a Its insignificance is transformed
! _2 j. v7 ]/ r& u* P Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
* ~. b( F' K6 c3 T3 M" e; Z3 u6 s Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
2 K+ T7 k0 Q" h! N Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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. J' W: q7 e  b$ P5 j2 F# S4 ]/ E The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
/ ]3 X+ B' \1 J; D+ a. W7 Q' s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

8 n6 C- U; A2 ^1 J. s! M8 _ Aren't we all pebbles?
: N8 |/ d* k* ^( v Feeling small and insignificant
) s. @5 {" w3 x But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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' r7 p" @4 y% N% e- A It is true then:
Our everlasting future
9 g! {- k9 M3 ]9 v2 y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 }4 D% c9 K1 r3 H/ ~ Creating ripples
- q# U; I1 p* Y) j# x! f* X) u$ H* z that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

) T" m& ~( [" P* @ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 v. A6 n+ W7 ~2 K2 K0 C8 n No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 p# |& Y$ i1 ~" |1 _5 K. \ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
# U7 G4 n! @7 k" X3 V beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
8 ]8 ^, E! U; K) \8 L: k; e# l because of that one pebble
8 `+ j  _, _. g7 F/ x  ^+ b The world will never be the same.
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, G  |. T% L2 i# M8 F( } And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03