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.

4 f' u1 q5 k9 M) r9 g Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
2 Y* b6 R0 Q, @7 [) p A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 i, u( E; s+ O4 i! Q8 @: Q But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
4 t: C1 d9 Z7 R" n: f; J Is neither understood nor appreciated
8 Y5 f2 C7 y! W' P8 `3 _ But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
" |+ _" d$ [2 C( z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
. F+ \# M, x" f# C( u Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
( {& d2 l+ |) l9 D: d% Y Gently affecting everything in its wake
- ~6 b; J- q5 T+ a* Y! ]; b4 I Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

& N, {1 z' ~/ b, n The pebble creates its worth and meaning
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
" e2 ^& t. P5 E0 Y( M" @/ W But ultimately recognizing
. b9 J9 x+ U& f+ L/ x6 f7 j% ] That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
: h: {" M1 P% o3 x, t6 `/ N, N- V on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 L" ^' n' I8 p; T Into the pond of life
3 s! k- u# |$ K Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
7 r8 _8 I0 _- ^, a1 q not because of well meaning plans
. e' m' E0 H  g7 |: |' D- V  s But because of actions.

% D6 m+ A. e/ l Our life's prayers our answered
$ V# [: j% |4 K" H" s' | Because even the smallest pebble
) h6 e- G2 m. C  o No matter how seemingly insignificant
! ^% [$ o4 J( J( X Changes the course of the lives
$ ]0 r8 _* X, a8 a Of those we touch.?
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, I/ R! C7 C9 T. u. Q And when the icy winds of death
$ P% L) m0 w$ D* B/ j$ V; { beckon our lasting attention
6 I6 `+ b" h( z8 ^" E% M We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
0 X0 z. l: O( h2 @ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03