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.

; ^' b  f# r  F" J8 G 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.
3 Q! s- |4 @; U; T8 y) h0 {
Heaven
# r# I0 @! k7 E5 E# i The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
6 T, p8 E$ b6 Z2 v* s9 p A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! ], Q; Q- `* C9 n" M An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

) x* ^6 P+ U6 v The pebble's place in our world
$ b- u: W) Y$ I1 N  o2 Y: Q Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 s! [* i2 j6 ]$ s) d But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
7 p7 M2 C0 |: M3 H- z: k7 d7 J) @
9 c* s& f7 b4 [0 T The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 z; n. P% x, p# \  ~. S( r Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 w0 U# {! m0 m& X+ ~ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

: n7 f6 w7 b/ I* [, ~ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
. i/ T  u) |; V, o6 |  S; c' E8 T Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
' H5 [0 H7 h! h- k& T& Q Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

: L* X- e- i" k5 \' c3 ~ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
( D) r* O) U" `; S Can never be measured in isolation
- O* S0 {$ \5 X& E7 u# H$ k. d4 U on a path into ourselves.

4 \* e9 o1 \8 q* d/ r3 t! f It is true then:
2 `& d6 f9 Z& s  p, { Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! ^0 r- a* G6 z4 q. L* y7 m$ G Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
1 U8 I3 d) n0 ?2 ]( n8 E But because of actions.
9 {' B( A9 P6 @8 U4 z
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
: O7 ?# Z3 B% \& }# T$ M, A  t
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
9 w# U) }' i$ ]4 V We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
1 C* u" ]: f' C0 P3 E. X( d% C The world will never be the same.

; H2 _: {( [( |" {5 x; A$ i And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03