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
The pebble is worn smooth
; x7 R8 u/ R" F: b6 C4 T1 a Made small over time
2 @" X) M, u* w% F9 d A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
2 r6 E( Z' W" L But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
! e! ~  E1 W6 b, e But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
  T; D% i( U2 z2 P9 W& U5 u, S1 | Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
* @' t4 q9 ~" G$ D5 N1 ~ Spiral outwards
- {; O$ s9 n( ?% D7 o+ |" |! Y- b$ Y Moving far beyond itself.
1 c9 M$ G. o# ]* O8 _( z5 V  j Gently affecting everything in its wake
1 r. |, ?* N$ |/ l3 N. z/ R/ ]" ~ 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
Creating karmic energy
: C4 \' n4 H4 |1 c Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
) r  V4 \/ s* J# G8 f Feeling small and insignificant
: ?. g; ^3 @' ~ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
" n  B' _; t% X& k on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
: F: a, ~( Y  ]* J6 f, O Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
( s6 O. G& I# D. i' ^ Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
! ^$ t2 \2 r3 I9 v that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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7 j4 E1 h' @% K) A& L Our life's prayers our answered
) x& n+ I( \2 A7 h5 v% l& a Because even the smallest pebble
6 v; c2 F! Q6 x! h9 w No matter how seemingly insignificant
& j. K- X4 g4 I( E, A Changes the course of the lives
0 ]& _+ {, [# j) K( w$ m Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
/ l2 I# T& q! d 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