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.
2 X% M/ r- `9 K5 t8 [/ w4 [
! t  X0 V. Q& @  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.

6 A% z6 |' K/ h) x5 S3 a* b+ n Heaven
5 g: |: ?9 {, X The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
& I" R; V3 V' K$ w( [5 D A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
/ Q0 e3 E: V8 t/ u8 \  @' z# `0 ] A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 k4 Q1 f! ^6 E0 f( d But just a very small stone.

( F( x% d, N0 y: O The pebble's place in our world
. y9 [; h, q1 E! r- D Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* D8 ]4 ~0 x1 m! b! {* @ Its insignificance is transformed
  D; `! w3 ]7 q0 Q Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

) S2 i) l& x; r3 T; C7 J4 a/ `* r$ B The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
6 J) @- [9 E3 o8 O Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

# O, c! W' Q% ?2 _% U6 c0 U The pebble creates its worth and meaning
. w& C+ u) j* }0 Z. V By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
  c% Y2 C# Y) D* R4 L7 M# n' L
Aren't we all pebbles?
2 @: J& }. v" g9 c$ _ Feeling small and insignificant
4 O  z$ o+ }' ~  [) n But ultimately recognizing
) t9 I+ \0 _8 |: ~4 x That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
, U5 W9 z4 L  _" S1 @5 O
It is true then:
' ~  m0 P0 T% Y* d Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
$ s$ L+ H3 A3 \, E1 l  Z' ? 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
* j" e* N7 @; U" _+ ] No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
8 y9 K5 C( s* w, f* \" q! Y. B. v9 } Of those we touch.?

$ ]8 k% ]) |* L8 H. G) }8 O And when the icy winds of death
! E8 ?. x$ e: `0 y9 m( c beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
: A9 W* T: f! B- P With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03