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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3 D" |0 `' `, t' y7 ^9 x% J7 d2 {/ c, E 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.

Heaven
8 P9 F1 Q* |0 _0 u4 a The pebble is worn smooth
3 Y/ Q: }5 Z" c4 M8 ^ Made small over time
& Y; v7 V; [) ?0 K; q- W) p  R3 x A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
+ r9 S; ]4 f* ]5 X/ O+ e8 ?7 M3 E But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
" x, f. o$ ~5 h- { Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
3 E4 ^8 A; x7 n Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

* j1 ]/ d* o. \ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
4 C. R* X+ \& V( V( m  t  P Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
4 c( G; h' u" d: J; t4 q: [% S+ L/ H
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
$ \7 X# L, ^& d2 W# ?( k3 c) t6 @ That who we are meant to be
7 M1 z+ V( y1 }# S/ m9 L$ s Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
1 `4 d7 \) K( M. y; ~ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
5 [, O+ v% v; ^0 ^) `1 O+ B; ? Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% N$ l1 k) p) A* Y  P( N0 U: N- @ But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 |' q" ^+ }/ p! ?/ @, U% V9 Z/ l Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
8 {% B7 Q$ v. ^- \2 \6 t
9 Y) L) K" j2 r; L; z And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
4 n+ ~5 F" F$ Y# H3 q: ]: o9 R0 j With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
, }3 k1 I& [1 _- C The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03