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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Heaven
$ U4 g9 }7 M2 h. K The pebble is worn smooth
3 u' c, w# D4 [2 A0 r7 L! y Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
  ?- N% N& Y& B. c5 o A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

/ f  `% L+ o! k: U- h8 f  [ The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
( |( {( [6 Z* m* x But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( Y- m, c2 f( Z0 E: V- ]0 W Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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: K  g' m* o1 H  M5 v2 G The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
& B7 x: |  |: x5 d8 z Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
/ `- n9 t/ B& o/ V Gently affecting everything in its wake
' Z8 H4 d( p0 L' P" g 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
; y" @  R4 m9 q8 F" K3 Y Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
; M/ C8 r$ s( @1 O& ~* L, S Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
% l5 u+ f, y9 w2 l( g" D' w Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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# l# L0 m/ _1 @$ u4 D8 @+ | It is true then:
Our everlasting future
0 o1 c2 p8 f5 [3 w6 ]) z1 B Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. O2 e4 G+ x( j1 t- z6 n0 G) A9 p4 X Into the pond of life
2 p0 C: e+ x2 X8 X* b& Z- G/ X" i Creating ripples
8 w  t. B% t/ r) V, Z8 v that leave unique mark on our world
1 ^2 ^# D- G$ f. e; P8 A$ U9 {5 Z Not because of thoughts
+ F( ~6 n/ Z& v$ }) e3 n" A8 K1 N. z not because of well meaning plans
; u# K% s) Y1 K0 X But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
) K+ S% K# m  d1 _$ D1 v Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
+ i; J, t) J& K9 Z beckon our lasting attention
& A. |$ I' g5 R3 |) @/ ] We will gently leave this life
. a% T. y- e# T# ?% V0 r1 T With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
( c, f* }+ ~2 J 8/18/03