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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( W) y' d( k& b5 b 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
" l- N) R, U' ` Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 Z' `/ F4 Y& P8 _ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
) E" ]0 b4 e- d: @8 }% z& p An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 N' ~7 C. [6 J( p But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 ]1 d' I2 _7 F- q1 C6 ]+ p, q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
  k5 G* @1 B# d Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
* z  K$ L% `/ y  _1 e Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
! u/ U! q# s7 h Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
. O4 R7 L( L% C/ t By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
, [% c4 ]* W& Q) I4 ~* h. M6 s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
3 ]" m! C) g5 g1 @# O+ @3 b But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
7 j5 T& A7 R' \4 J6 ]. x Can never be measured in isolation
( F( W# d' a% J- ]9 ^ on a path into ourselves.

4 ?+ x1 n0 d& P( D. g) w: b8 r It is true then:
Our everlasting future
6 s# }9 }; t# |! T Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
1 g6 [# c1 M, @* g3 `8 q Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
2 d7 M1 A4 b/ g; o  A Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
6 |2 f5 b* Z" o( u/ p7 } Because even the smallest pebble
- t, r  l- n, {: O9 S4 l No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
! Z1 j5 H- q! E$ w# J! f! D; E Of those we touch.?
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$ ]/ S; H2 c- x- w& ]# b, ^ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ S0 n4 l( X) w$ C2 R) ]4 V because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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& |3 s7 p3 M7 W. A9 C2 n  H Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03