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.

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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. Q: ^9 C" I9 l% @5 c Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
2 T+ t; M1 |4 l5 D6 n* P  Z 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
9 k0 v( o" F6 k0 B+ q But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
+ E6 ?( P9 Q0 N' k Is neither understood nor appreciated
( K% ~* w& k. G- O But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
/ k. l& U; J  K8 @. Q: d Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
: S& p3 v8 ^; T( V Its signature of concentric ripples
" p+ g1 K3 x: V& p& m8 w7 T. g Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
; U% w! n& ^% I! g% U( H Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 A: g' ~0 _2 ^, U. e The pebble creates its worth and meaning
( [5 [. p; Z% \ By unleashing its unimagined power?
# j: P# e% W! y2 C5 {/ a Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
  f2 L# a6 D4 n" n9 U# m% [ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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/ k0 P1 Z; r7 C9 d8 q: v Aren't we all pebbles?
( Z4 D3 L! _5 w% l( q# `4 H5 x Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
. t$ f/ r9 |( d$ e3 ~& v That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
' l! s- I; Q* Y0 G0 `3 C- \+ S on a path into ourselves.

$ O9 E) u1 A! B- B( S0 l It is true then:
. i# i2 x- u% F1 |$ e# \. }" e Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 R3 p  q9 K3 x1 X! a Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
; c9 v# h1 K" w; m* | that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
. H) l& a6 u. Z) y But because of actions.
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; [! _1 o# e! X9 e  N$ s Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
+ K# m" B2 V0 B8 E" k No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 X1 z6 B4 u5 S Changes the course of the lives
* D1 l/ m. n5 @8 g7 S$ q# Z# t Of those we touch.?
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8 z8 x. |8 }1 A: G And when the icy winds of death
: t2 h' q- \/ e3 ~2 W$ L0 f beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
7 z+ V5 r0 C0 e, a, f With the knowledge that
& X* f: D% W$ {4 i" s because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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" A/ {; L( u9 J' G- B0 _  _" j And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
0 `1 ?" G8 r1 W* o. j' | 8/18/03