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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9 ~; k: }# i7 M8 w0 @ 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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
- y2 {, l  R9 f! \$ g A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

# _: a: F& j5 o- a" U The pebble's place in our world
( `! H" B1 e9 i; ^+ c) `, Q Is neither understood nor appreciated
& A* Z, j/ Q, E3 C; E But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

0 b% F1 G# \) ~/ H+ p% z# N The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# G' ?6 K$ G! n Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
' o$ E' [& S8 M, r: b By unleashing its unimagined power?
! j7 P6 c/ N& ^7 [/ b Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ F4 C3 E* s3 e2 O4 w- K% d Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

( z5 k) D# k8 w1 j' _" G$ U/ R5 t Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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- Z" \* A4 t' C It is true then:
& N7 a1 q7 E6 {1 k" d! W Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ g+ `- w5 r, _4 M+ J Into the pond of life
$ ~. w0 [/ P) M Creating ripples
4 G$ F7 w9 X# W4 a7 @9 l  c that leave unique mark on our world
& J* c8 ~& K, [4 I- H Not because of thoughts
( m1 b: X$ y, g7 e* Y. k: O6 Q not because of well meaning plans
5 [5 }) R: l' w1 m" R6 A/ c0 A( x But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
+ D2 f+ n$ ^2 h6 G Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
( G/ o* ]3 X* U0 @. `7 w) B  ? Changes the course of the lives
, Q* l) i1 P9 f Of those we touch.?
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' u% F/ P- |  ~" t And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; p" u  e7 T& B We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
/ t+ x' h2 A3 h' e/ `( y* X& G because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

& J" F- t  i  D6 S5 y. M) K And then we have heaven …
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4 A& n$ w  O0 |, v9 k% C Ross Rosenberg
# o$ Z$ m* j* H 8/18/03