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.

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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Heaven
9 z7 L5 z- V# D The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
  f2 H& y% L9 }* ?' M3 y- f A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
" V: j7 D5 F; |) K" l+ Z" G8 s A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! I  j5 E2 M7 S An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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. ^$ N/ M8 N$ x The pebble's place in our world
% D& i+ n) _: a5 e Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 s5 z) v, h' Y8 p- r But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
: ?0 ?2 [2 j6 [& n$ f6 M3 W# ` Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

% L. p8 L$ b# ?6 }, a6 M The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 w: t1 A; F2 J7 u) f Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* g+ X; L+ o( }* |2 G9 \; x Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
9 z3 F! y; S. t2 G  f3 i Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
0 C. W- `" `. m! T0 m3 s- V' V Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
! f# o( L' f- A/ f- n- {- I But ultimately recognizing
3 D" ~+ m9 |  o' P+ M5 S That who we are meant to be
9 L& \% }8 C3 i% P9 z# _: y Can never be measured in isolation
) X& s, ^6 E/ ] on a path into ourselves.
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. h9 f# x6 Q2 l2 x7 I8 ?% Q: i It is true then:
+ e4 H; k4 s; D% B8 ?5 R% I9 ~ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
0 j& n5 g# i2 W7 o; @/ v Creating ripples
5 ^& v% |" D4 _" j* w, O2 [. x that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

$ F# X% @. u  ~$ n Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
7 V# E% U6 N/ x No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
7 O  `$ A- [8 t  v Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) X7 c$ e9 n* R With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
3 g2 }+ A- Y1 Q  u# e; z* z The world will never be the same.
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& r, Y5 e  I% j  U0 ]0 c& U And then we have heaven …

, p  ?, T  n% v( o8 N* d) e1 O& C Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03