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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2 @+ S% h' ^& t# x: I! h) t 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
The pebble is worn smooth
: }6 d, i" a& n# K4 p. @ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! H$ F5 [9 U8 n2 S An accidental offspring of a boulder
: ]# `8 A4 ]. j% a( ]& ~, U But just a very small stone.
5 p( _  \8 q, j
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 T* O( b# y8 D9 V+ z But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( ~: W( M3 ^& H, }  {% O Its insignificance is transformed
0 j; U" }2 [1 p+ \8 E. V Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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3 M  o1 e8 ?) m# G% F The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
+ s/ v% Y' \/ Q! c7 f, {- z: b# k Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
/ _, s6 q( o% X3 D8 u6 [7 [8 r7 u Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

; p6 l0 s0 W0 j6 I6 y The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
" g: [. T( u8 D8 }; Y3 y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

) I; @/ y( p$ X" I1 r Aren't we all pebbles?
" M3 B1 U! m' C  E. K Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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( G+ M6 }4 ]. }/ O) J& L5 {( X It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
6 e" c/ [9 j8 t( n  t  P6 X6 } that leave unique mark on our world
5 C) A. Z( o5 w1 p4 A& o1 x Not because of thoughts
6 g5 Y4 P9 ~. v! |8 c not because of well meaning plans
/ M$ t) F4 q0 X8 c% Z1 b But because of actions.
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3 s9 |6 Y% L# n9 d  L) ]( H Our life's prayers our answered
# T8 U- w: E( G$ p- V! Q5 r Because even the smallest pebble
9 I( L' `, w1 B3 d% B No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
0 d/ r7 I, x  E- `5 ~7 x Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
' y% V; y( t+ n8 k* M5 H+ g beckon our lasting attention
4 ?9 `- a. j8 g1 \ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

, B0 h( \% X! k: c; n, Q And then we have heaven …

" [( A- R6 ]6 L2 A3 n+ _% j4 o* C Ross Rosenberg
% L9 T/ c2 o3 o7 N 8/18/03