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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5 y, @; x; n" m 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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" \- K: [% y, D' ~ Heaven
8 x# ]* B# e0 S1 r5 d; K: G+ o The pebble is worn smooth
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
8 Q6 w, \: g  b7 e2 p But just a very small stone.
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+ a" K% I% R, | The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% I  h. B+ X5 e1 `0 l" ]0 i Its insignificance is transformed
7 @$ A, ]1 Q" y Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
  b& R0 A0 @5 B9 o, ~# N 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
( A% V8 A6 v5 f* F, P By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

4 f1 p' F; a5 ? Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
# \5 i/ W$ P4 a) d But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
6 S3 A5 S4 n5 S" q Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
% c9 R8 M" [$ Z1 `6 w Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ U6 W" ^; u3 b/ g7 p9 {8 q0 B) i" n6 { Into the pond of life
+ q% Q% l/ `4 c6 w# E# H6 t1 o Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# n; t+ b/ o& a0 X+ {* W Not because of thoughts
! }  C9 B. w( O) A3 T* S1 d not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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  ^" Q. b  H7 P3 `; M Our life's prayers our answered
7 |* r: A' ?/ \, {/ l9 r, a Because even the smallest pebble
* k3 J. h! a9 |9 p( i No matter how seemingly insignificant
" `& D: K. C3 k" W  u  D- C# s Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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! b8 M' C+ f% n And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
& h. u& a0 Y" ?& @' D6 C0 r! o We will gently leave this life
8 }9 p2 R- \3 l0 s With the knowledge that
& i; j) h5 b/ m" n- y' ^  L  f because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

& |% W8 @" `  U6 f: ? And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03