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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% H6 L, ]# {' I; I  H9 p! [0 ~* \+ | 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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/ m% F) C: r; B0 ]1 t Heaven
% x1 k! x: U6 K0 b) C2 l The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

6 ?+ b7 }% f+ i9 g' c The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 C: X% [3 I" z: }! b But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ Z* D% P7 R% c/ K Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

. H% P& i9 w! T+ m3 V2 |0 X! z The instant the pebble kisses the pond
, ~0 z/ J  T, K+ d$ |' F- h  U Its signature of concentric ripples
+ G9 Y2 M3 S0 t; V& h/ w) Q Spiral outwards
$ H$ W3 v0 l& {" U  x/ T Moving far beyond itself.
) l4 }) }/ _% E( `. J/ Y6 [1 _! { Gently affecting everything in its wake
( R* w- H4 g' {3 l* X+ q Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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: e0 H: z* F: ?- s! H& C; f The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 F) a. J, C; n9 q5 z6 M By unleashing its unimagined power?
% P' G7 ^& h9 R) H Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! H3 U  Q  S# F0 p+ y Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

+ I. m0 d0 g3 o0 V Aren't we all pebbles?
2 ~& `' B/ c' ^ Feeling small and insignificant
1 z/ o) A% R+ P( c0 ? 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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It is true then:
, o! g( K  v% k' B: } Our everlasting future
9 K2 f3 e( n# K/ X+ r: ^ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 k% o3 Y$ W1 t4 A, q Into the pond of life
; T- ~) c8 q/ `6 H8 Q5 a2 N Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
( w) Y7 f9 X+ ~) Y' U5 d not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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2 P2 q$ S  {" m. b0 e Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
" F9 V% `9 B" Y! q No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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' d4 F0 t3 ?6 {1 w; w And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
/ w4 c. D7 E, I3 a! z; S' _+ S We will gently leave this life
/ [- T  y( Z+ H With the knowledge that
7 `' @$ q0 }( S. Z6 R$ b3 h because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

4 T9 o& K/ E* i/ Q$ s- N1 \ And then we have heaven …

* K: g8 q' b4 U2 G; c( [1 p8 K& c1 N Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03