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.

Heaven
9 S5 i$ A0 T( q4 o" F The pebble is worn smooth
+ z) H8 [4 ^' b Made small over time
  ^2 C7 x  K  @1 ` A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 X0 R$ U; e. G* G An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
& g" A3 l$ e) I0 V  Q) S Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 g* G0 ~3 h" M But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
3 n/ q! r' |9 W* n, y9 n6 d0 c7 N! G Its insignificance is transformed
4 q, w: w& Y: f# |  e Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

* i3 W- z: J/ v2 H) S& c8 f% Z, Y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; J( @0 [( K3 v" \4 N1 \ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
$ t9 j/ a" f/ ] Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

7 _7 n5 J/ p4 S0 _" F* C/ d The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: D% m8 D) m" Z4 ]* j2 t+ s- g* ^2 o By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
  p6 g- @& X  n; T% k" ^( F) J But ultimately recognizing
9 @# ^% Y* j8 \8 l0 q$ u That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
1 p# |9 q2 K( I0 ]9 v on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* H* R% u7 H: X+ V+ x2 [ Into the pond of life
9 t2 e7 e  f- i Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
2 C$ f6 C$ x2 g, _6 d, O( b' J not because of well meaning plans
% k  a0 Z- I3 w! [ But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
9 [4 Z0 i' V! q& V( t9 C  {; N No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 O1 N" Y2 f8 H7 N4 b; }$ `+ v Of those we touch.?
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1 M+ `0 i& o! D3 M And when the icy winds of death
0 a" f$ X( t; g$ {! ]2 T beckon our lasting attention
5 u9 ^  _  ^* G; { We will gently leave this life
( O" z+ Y' y* r) U$ B* Z* X With the knowledge that
) A: N$ P* c+ B6 h- h* V- M because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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4 t4 L( W1 _# C# T" A8 t And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
; w, c- G! k3 u4 } 8/18/03