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' I+ X( @" Q8 ^8 U# y 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.

8 C9 p5 b' p! o7 ]3 t. d Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
, r' @7 W7 ]! x4 k! ?) V A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
% @" x# B  ?2 o# B5 q) V But just a very small stone.
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) d7 }$ n, ]* q$ x. ` The pebble's place in our world
8 g9 w: e: o% R  ]8 C Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  v1 T; T' e7 o( r2 Y$ r5 X" A Its insignificance is transformed
, U1 |. b1 m5 ?. n9 ]" ]9 @ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

. K* w! O" C  a7 Y: ?6 L The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 U+ t0 P' o- D- E Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" k* N1 {( Y9 ^5 ^ Creating karmic energy
5 ^+ a* ]2 O" B/ ^7 N Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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* Y% X8 x4 y8 i* d Aren't we all pebbles?
6 v/ m: C4 r. W# Z) y Feeling small and insignificant
  @$ g$ c1 F2 r; \# k* m But ultimately recognizing
2 V( w2 K5 e7 F7 |1 {- A That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
- w% s: q5 b/ A( j8 V2 X on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
9 Y  _0 e) M3 [( q Creating ripples
6 p  y+ T1 j0 {5 Q6 O that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
/ z, b& ^2 W2 X$ W not because of well meaning plans
) T; T0 }( q/ B, |, \, b But because of actions.

! ^: q5 n! t% E" \+ ` Our life's prayers our answered
: \4 J2 P' q6 Q, g+ H Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ B6 K  R' ?; g$ W; W- m8 \  W Changes the course of the lives
5 y. W9 Q% M1 ~. y& p1 _' v( a Of those we touch.?
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. L1 N5 R! n) S And when the icy winds of death
6 _( R6 H: q6 n& @$ U( I beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
& [$ k5 e0 u9 \ With the knowledge that
/ g( U$ V0 i; r# T/ a because of that one pebble
. r% k" L( L  S5 D: }' Z The world will never be the same.
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$ ~4 ^' U8 V$ E) c* ?; h And then we have heaven …
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$ W1 m6 R: j* i1 F Ross Rosenberg
& F4 |" o  J! z/ c 8/18/03