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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6 J( R8 J$ c; D5 m 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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$ x7 |5 |* ?- r4 U7 Y Heaven
8 H7 d6 P3 j# U- \& |* [ The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
8 k6 V. x( n$ _ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
( D( j: T/ q. X; T) D; M. k But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
" V8 e: Q; ?' } Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 T- [; S4 y/ M: F2 ^8 ]9 e Its insignificance is transformed
$ Y2 j% \' c" j7 V- } Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 v- q; V* @$ ^, T: t# I Spiral outwards
$ n$ C$ C6 c* m" ^# o Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
; j* O' I; s! `; N, X- I5 P Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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3 s. S. I7 q" ] The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
$ \/ t# k. z! R: s! f/ ] Feeling small and insignificant
$ i4 Y# `+ ?- K8 i! c6 B8 m But ultimately recognizing
) Y! M7 v: |* c2 \8 N# c6 z' D That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
/ Z3 H2 y/ p1 }/ V on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 p- j" I4 u  L) w( L) { Into the pond of life
; W% W) H1 @8 [: r/ e$ N Creating ripples
% b5 F# L/ t8 h' j) _; j# y& Y that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
1 I" w, l$ v6 z2 @  ?0 ?! C7 }) w8 L But because of actions.
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% P* s+ e1 u/ M1 ^ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
* c0 A1 S0 R! O No matter how seemingly insignificant
! D; v7 u- Z2 u5 Y Changes the course of the lives
9 ^; m6 X) p  o* I Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
& x$ ]' T9 e8 \ because of that one pebble
( M" _" g+ F6 v; q, Y The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
  s6 U9 A5 y) q; q" |# Z 8/18/03