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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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
9 R. D) Z9 v( L5 I" ]+ s The pebble is worn smooth
  p- g, z' J# q8 r+ O+ h# q 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
) f9 O+ l% t. I' w# l2 | But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 |- a6 y8 T5 d. { Its insignificance is transformed
8 K7 ~! U0 \; w/ f; {9 M Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ Q0 Y0 B# b+ G) n) V6 o: [! T Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: R& f% Q3 H4 K By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 ^/ G. C# a* C+ H6 \9 n5 ?1 N# b Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
6 U0 ]7 \2 W0 h9 a9 M9 [( v1 V0 o4 U Feeling small and insignificant
) L: x3 ~% |3 X( }3 i! B But ultimately recognizing
/ ~8 L- g4 K8 c; h6 H, U That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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) o: v+ i; s& p0 P2 C; A It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 |$ d. Z7 i- X7 O Into the pond of life
5 o" l5 ?/ q; ^' q9 Q1 K Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
2 z8 q" }7 `. ?6 J Not because of thoughts
0 F- ~. J% V  s+ P& @3 t( {7 b1 C not because of well meaning plans
" q9 _' q9 |% j6 T) K5 P+ q But because of actions.
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3 x6 w; A2 S  Q0 D4 z" B$ c+ L& v) U Our life's prayers our answered
' `9 F% r$ z& ]% Q Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
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We will gently leave this life
6 [1 }2 I9 Z+ O- H With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
* C4 e, m7 i( _; k$ c2 A% A; w The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

/ m! k( j# \( T* B" I Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03