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.
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" ~3 J0 a) C$ K) W3 w) y2 @9 {- c Heaven
1 d" t* c) ?+ t' B The pebble is worn smooth
5 A; O5 s- I: j  L3 \ 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.
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1 _! a, a' U9 h4 z; Z$ J1 W1 T; y The pebble's place in our world
8 k) l' s$ ~! y% E7 j( x. g) W Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
: ?* J* K% M1 S- O6 @! w. U Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ H4 Q' D+ k, x6 A6 C# c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
4 q8 f9 i( ^3 H# ` Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

8 A4 m% B6 y/ a! J0 h The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 v. M& a' k' _$ B7 l4 F; F By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 x  g, T" y2 l* n9 ?) W5 t Creating karmic energy
! J4 D7 V! Z  O2 |8 w Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
7 m) R# h( i2 i( ~ Feeling small and insignificant
: H- D5 V% ?4 y! @! I But ultimately recognizing
9 M2 M0 p, Z  h6 t2 Z! F/ @ That who we are meant to be
% e- K6 t6 h$ C( [' w 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
Into the pond of life
& R0 o' D6 K  g Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
2 ?+ i. |) _. v/ `4 T% O+ C Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
" B% i: q/ F$ M2 q$ G5 ^+ j% O No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
* `8 V/ }  |* U1 m) M* r3 u beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
4 `; T. c5 k% @# ]+ ?* ` because of that one pebble
4 `, \6 q$ `) B& a$ i: Z The world will never be the same.

3 J, I- n+ q6 G1 A' I; S# ] And then we have heaven …
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7 P7 \0 ]2 [2 @* ?$ r0 | Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03