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.

9 N# B" f, c3 }" }9 } Heaven
+ R! ]; Q3 D. E0 P- t$ }- |% `& X0 a" t The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
. J- ^0 l! V/ J+ y A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
* w8 \1 k; V, y, r3 { But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
& B0 g! M% a9 G9 W3 d Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& @0 w* V. q) n7 m4 e% h/ M Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 Z3 R( v+ w4 }3 l9 S' t Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, E' w% B" a2 t/ i& n By unleashing its unimagined power?
' h4 Y) j! s8 c: h& `8 b Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
* s/ k" p3 u* X8 y* E Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
2 m' Z  h, J9 H  P3 q+ N But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 K( y" a9 }8 A# d3 Y9 a Can never be measured in isolation
+ c5 Z- s1 n) s7 J on a path into ourselves.
. O5 o1 g9 n* a( h/ Z- b- V3 m- q. v+ b
# g# J5 W0 O, [, u! Q It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 o5 H0 o- o" w7 E% G8 c Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
& p) y" s& P6 Q. J3 ^; A3 M Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
3 R# h; a7 u" N. m But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
3 m+ i1 A) D( W/ g, a' A* V7 H+ G Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 @$ T) s* V# I  `$ O1 I& L Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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5 H* y' s7 p* t) V' n And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
3 u. G: h- N' H5 |& v We will gently leave this life
* o( x) z( m) x8 A With the knowledge that
- u# V; S* Z: u; y because of that one pebble
% f7 `, }5 n6 c/ M0 o% X5 p1 z The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

" ~# P/ T7 ^( j( s, H& @& L Ross Rosenberg
- K6 n, J" m% G/ S# S- T- a- y 8/18/03