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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Heaven
* g) a, J3 [! t  F! R7 d5 H The pebble is worn smooth
9 u: W. s' I2 h% X% o/ b Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; u/ X7 k2 a) `8 a! N2 T$ Z An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
3 V( r  @4 [! c) h. g$ v7 e  _8 h Is neither understood nor appreciated
, P# \6 X% v) d7 D  \ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
1 d5 F) `8 y6 D  ^5 o2 p Its insignificance is transformed
* f& U4 |7 V5 L Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 ^* A, D; v7 E+ `3 v. v Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
' x' k) Y2 S- j  B6 k2 G" i Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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+ P6 A, U9 u1 I2 Y% ?* q) }' t7 x3 { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, o2 d4 g8 J) C( N9 d- q+ `+ n By unleashing its unimagined power?
; J+ \; K1 g( T0 l& t; K# N Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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  r& X" |6 G4 j$ {! [) P Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
6 }) X& L$ L& ^( q- R But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
# b- m: f$ D- i on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
/ s4 k" [, E) r5 { Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
6 o1 V- _- D, H% R Into the pond of life
3 N4 a  ~$ L+ s" \6 j$ q; c$ J Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
3 ?  n7 H: E/ y9 q not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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! E. b  U9 G2 J% F7 x Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 F  `$ v* _* U: t/ d No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
' v5 A9 C4 B# {& _- q We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
0 E( \9 M4 u, C* a: X The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8 e  Y! U% g1 Q( k5 N' U4 w 8/18/03