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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! A+ Q/ R1 O2 ` 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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Heaven
# A) N8 X' b# l" q0 n; j( ^5 x% @! w The pebble is worn smooth
* m3 y: z; ]6 F; v4 n+ Y Made small over time
' T* D' ]& U% s5 {: `) P A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 v4 _& ^" _' O9 d' p An accidental offspring of a boulder
& b( v) _; n2 j1 F1 }% H. t But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  _; g. [) y& {! ^ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

4 I$ O" |/ R8 Y' R1 z* p& B& m The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# ?* L5 Z5 F6 M Its signature of concentric ripples
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
& B, L& @- R9 T1 }, G- t; f 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?
( F  B3 ~& ?# @' ~9 T Feeling small and insignificant
7 t; v% f, y; p3 R3 |8 q But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
% s/ g. h& |) C/ { Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
$ g# e" F3 j1 M2 G  [6 [5 R Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
9 H5 X& }) Y; s: S$ Q Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
5 y6 N% n2 ]' J( }" w not because of well meaning plans
7 U, J' H+ H* H( @ But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
) m2 x4 w& Y% @" K, _3 m! m- ?* ^ No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 r+ R; H6 |' z Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
, |" z- ^3 }5 j$ L With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( a& x. w$ n5 s0 ~ The world will never be the same.
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0 y. q, e/ G1 D" ^0 |3 ~7 U And then we have heaven …
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1 F8 G1 E& J% M# t2 Y& C8 I Ross Rosenberg
6 [- M) X7 X' a3 ?5 q% H 8/18/03