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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
$ ^+ T" k' H7 j- ?& J+ p1 N A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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5 ?& Z  ], w. w% w5 a! N+ m4 ]0 { The pebble's place in our world
7 g' D8 S% B0 G8 A) U 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
$ J8 `* n: f5 D1 O3 } Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

( o' ]: i8 I: d The pebble creates its worth and meaning
8 u8 `* Q/ u, ?5 d5 c% k$ g By unleashing its unimagined power?
& j& ?" [- l2 |0 ]; ]% z4 \1 Q! k: Q/ q Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; M1 z$ f: q. `5 e) @ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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- |; L. h# n7 n6 Z( @ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
, [. K+ s# j8 i7 P& A+ @ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
& D8 x4 {5 b8 ~; D1 o2 E( E$ V Can never be measured in isolation
3 ?. k4 ~% U' K; ], i. D" Z on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 h! {: f  j- i8 | Into the pond of life
9 K) n* }- k" S$ Y7 u9 m Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# p" B, j) [. S5 x0 r3 t Not because of thoughts
+ l$ a3 f3 U% K9 R/ ]3 f not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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  n+ H9 j% x4 R( _2 R0 b( g9 f% f Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
+ ]4 N9 G- j* d1 ~1 y- g! ~; [ No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 Y( L' R  z/ L% W  g Changes the course of the lives
6 j, D; ^3 _' b  u* P' t0 p Of those we touch.?
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5 L, {! `* s" \( I4 T; N And when the icy winds of death
' t1 ^) j+ L9 L& Z4 {- z2 E# E# A beckon our lasting attention
4 K2 w; ^4 L! n. E6 @8 \ We will gently leave this life
# E, K$ v) b4 c! l1 C' @ With the knowledge that
! B8 d, i+ A# i6 N" N* ], H because of that one pebble
, g! }+ B( D3 A5 {% ], x The world will never be the same.
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/ c  q. ]; X8 o And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
  h1 ^; d0 s! O! G" M0 q+ ~8 W 8/18/03