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
+ P' E" }7 D1 e' B0 p The pebble is worn smooth
5 j3 A& X- C3 p9 e  e. L Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* L" e! R1 ^* s& Z* M2 J5 u A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
$ w& Q/ G5 v; e$ z0 ]! X+ f0 q Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 H+ Z" S; j9 y/ l, N Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- Q" D' L8 ~" P" _ Its signature of concentric ripples
) \0 W" ?( b. q# a Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

' N& t0 g0 t0 h# M& e5 W The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ p2 @* |! ^4 k" Q By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
: K5 L2 y1 Y, q) a Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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- i$ z3 U0 L5 ?9 A& i" s1 j8 T Aren't we all pebbles?
' ~; m& U' ^0 x# I- V5 _ Feeling small and insignificant
. h. G4 |6 t) m* m But ultimately recognizing
* w/ x! I  U, I0 z That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
3 l6 G$ N6 ^6 ^1 g' c on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
* W4 l' t( x, U* i6 Y Our everlasting future
- g; o# K- V3 w) a1 Q/ u4 G" a Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
, h/ |2 Y: C9 x+ G) Y( u Not because of thoughts
* j- }( u! h  \% R( U0 e; v) m not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

: L& x* O% b: ~/ z/ | Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
& J0 ~* e, S" R4 j- b; R Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
2 T( P- l  Q* _9 @* c% j. w% w beckon our lasting attention
# u  `5 H' ^: i; ^- l+ k4 z+ ? We will gently leave this life
; @; r1 ~3 U: D! ^' Y With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
8 d& `1 v, \- Y; P' q/ ?* n6 F The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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- c( {6 e# H' q3 B Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03