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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6 e! ^6 R6 Y& C! C1 i Heaven
! x+ d4 e% `  k( ? The pebble is worn smooth
% s2 {' F3 p4 V, h8 H Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 B$ J/ M' n: t1 E But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
! O" Q( S* P9 v" d# G Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 \8 n% w% x0 [6 Q; i' T. m But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
, Q1 B& Q$ E, C% l: B Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
- H( I4 @' f0 }) [2 y( o Moving far beyond itself.
8 }" s. T/ ~$ B1 s Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 {+ s4 }/ G8 G( O/ Q' }* ?' { Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
$ I+ ^1 m/ e  O; H" F' H Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- k& u1 k* W9 k- P  M! e Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
9 ^$ p, s& S% A. U But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
- G& Y+ k$ T/ L on a path into ourselves.
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& p' P0 J7 A: H; \/ K5 u9 }. _# c It is true then:
Our everlasting future
2 C3 o/ O% `; C: h# A1 _; K Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 A3 n9 t! v  [) {& C) v Not because of thoughts
: R) ~/ F9 c, K not because of well meaning plans
3 p4 u9 B5 G* I/ {  C" C0 Q, { But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ S  n1 z" ~! f; A; X) E8 s Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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: g4 {6 o7 }( q And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
7 Z' b5 w2 K& B) \# `3 z We will gently leave this life
' d. ?, p5 _. M: f9 {/ c With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
9 K. W) D& X' C1 o" G( g7 S The world will never be the same.

) |, F/ H% ^: k6 W  z  s$ ~. |! A- a% z And then we have heaven …
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3 J' [/ O0 |1 W% Z, J0 X2 b0 p Ross Rosenberg
7 g1 A( d  k" |; W* g6 D# @ 8/18/03