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.

6 z+ ], u2 V% z  g& ~ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
; g& f4 K. L5 f5 L4 l! J* ~0 s Made small over time
: |( u6 N9 u, a3 P% j A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 `7 y- |1 H4 F2 }2 t: }( l4 x$ F5 @, y A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ ?, L5 }1 ~2 Q# Q) I0 x9 e6 D# ]* m An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
' J3 s) A; Q+ t, d
& J/ e! i3 s! u: [( E. q# a7 R The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* I; N1 K4 F6 y, i) Q2 U Moving far beyond itself.
2 W0 @9 K& E9 T1 W! B8 J( O, y Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
1 ~0 c" D+ E2 q7 j) r  r  a By unleashing its unimagined power?
! k8 R" q  Y' ^/ |" ?6 n Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
3 r) L" R, ~- |. t0 l3 A Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

+ f1 H* b% A5 z2 a& w) h Aren't we all pebbles?
; G/ ]6 Z+ x0 b/ F) _$ _ Feeling small and insignificant
( T2 j& k2 d5 R  m But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
' C8 \: T1 {1 _0 _2 v8 N9 p Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 O" l7 U$ B8 a$ t Creating ripples
  [$ C6 Q$ [0 h: Q- n3 x that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
- ~7 d- N9 H+ W; a1 F not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

/ |6 p" y3 L8 o( F" k$ \$ R: S Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
# c( k. O! G! C+ O" ] No matter how seemingly insignificant
  Q9 F2 `1 h0 W: M% `; C Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
) F0 x# u% `. v- C0 @& z beckon our lasting attention
. E2 Y! w. S) J- Y+ h0 O We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
7 c) j' m6 }7 R+ A because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

+ O" ]' G2 r! A5 Q- ~4 @, [ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03