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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( d" G* ?/ P! x/ X$ p+ R9 r 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
/ L  n( o# B* P" L( P' ~ The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 C$ }4 \: m5 \7 B) h; N0 R A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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8 l9 R7 P/ h& y The pebble's place in our world
2 l" n* `* U0 G7 g7 C Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 A- x. H& U& O/ U# }  d But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
$ }3 }6 h  @5 [4 @1 p. r; u Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ r/ C3 D6 N2 v0 [$ A) O. B Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
( }) L- m& ^9 }2 W$ L  d Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

! V; [- Z5 C- f The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
& s- r/ K$ H0 r6 k3 z% x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ S4 K+ Q9 |3 W Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

& D% X% m. O# z6 b* o, A: ` Aren't we all pebbles?
  }, d: A4 R0 A1 u* i Feeling small and insignificant
% ]3 P4 f; |; P$ i# @' z: [4 k But ultimately recognizing
7 Z% v2 `+ p' M3 C That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
. ?* p8 i' X4 {3 o  M) J on a path into ourselves.

& j; K9 g1 k7 r It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 M/ E! M& b4 r7 ~" \8 `, L4 u2 s Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
1 q& U, {% t6 Q" o that leave unique mark on our world
7 i1 M  Y7 }' D# `5 F) M) L Not because of thoughts
3 ]8 T. W) Y; d! z9 T not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  l; ]! t" d" b' M3 H2 W/ k No matter how seemingly insignificant
( ]1 T; J2 R9 G% a Changes the course of the lives
; Q$ f8 j' O8 F9 i# X5 s  F' a( o' c Of those we touch.?
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9 d9 [& ~& {# [' {5 k And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
2 P; \& Y; F$ ] We will gently leave this life
' o  Z  ?4 y1 O, K. w With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
6 O0 v3 h9 a6 w" n2 O3 q0 Y The world will never be the same.
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* N5 n8 z0 m# K* M2 o5 k$ ^4 b) } And then we have heaven …

$ c# C* Z  L, w" H Ross Rosenberg
# P3 r) t6 F, }9 d9 m* i+ Z 8/18/03