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.
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1 x( R9 Y$ J8 Q* q Heaven
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
' }7 Z9 g" o* p+ c6 k But just a very small stone.

3 a3 f" X' l5 U1 } The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ H8 b+ G; O- {, _/ F# T2 q3 T3 W Its insignificance is transformed
: O% V0 n' O7 ]% |% Y Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ Z! ]2 h8 x6 K0 }0 o Its signature of concentric ripples
) [5 b. |! N  x& h, \2 Z! Y7 F Spiral outwards
" U/ c8 i. g; n  u 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
By unleashing its unimagined power?
$ z" M) T4 @$ ` Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# B) N0 V$ r. P! \* L" L  f Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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$ G& B6 F- |# _! n It is true then:
+ \3 n2 Y* k% ` Our everlasting future
; d: K+ M+ [: i, b0 O% P1 { Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  n! P+ N$ C; |6 B6 e Into the pond of life
  @/ }1 f, O7 K+ I Creating ripples
4 z- S4 C! D, Q3 d) A  P that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
' R8 i1 K5 j) r not because of well meaning plans
: ^& r2 b* ?; K! J But because of actions.

: |* m7 z& R' M/ H/ ?) D# u Our life's prayers our answered
9 `0 C* P6 R( I' R) a; q Because even the smallest pebble
, @0 t* t. _4 l+ m# Z No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 H4 H. a8 r1 T( ]& x Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

0 w2 k- F& i: s- ~* P And when the icy winds of death
5 a% Y. x8 Y, Z beckon our lasting attention
# {# k$ k+ G% T. v We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
) s, }" q2 S0 M The world will never be the same.

# o* Y2 v! H3 n9 Q8 z And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
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