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
) t6 x0 x/ o- v% i9 j The pebble is worn smooth
* a4 B1 D$ n/ B) A6 y Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
7 J$ N. F  `1 \2 m& F' W: ~ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
* \- \  J, D3 D9 | Is neither understood nor appreciated
. ^) G7 s2 \# ]9 ~. W But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
) Q4 J5 Q" P! W5 ^" @ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
4 q9 T8 q7 t$ [ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
) Q: _% `& F+ L0 }2 F5 s4 L% } Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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5 D9 z5 o6 S# P The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  C" y) v5 T$ ~$ o By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 }) b% s3 P5 c9 T0 W/ c5 \! ^ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# U7 m( C0 c- G% Q; K- {# Y Creating karmic energy
$ g! G! W9 m! |1 x% N  m Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
1 u( [8 ^* E9 H/ |( i! Y4 @+ Q7 q Can never be measured in isolation
2 D. y) x/ H% _* N) K on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 @( i. l2 \+ N* O- h Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
1 M" B& m4 K+ b0 O% U not because of well meaning plans
% ]8 s! y8 K, o* c7 g6 e& Z4 t But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
& D4 \- h  d/ j4 p Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 |1 a9 e2 E  ` Changes the course of the lives
1 ^; x# d+ R/ A) c/ O- R: J, f Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
9 h% F7 N) r% c% j3 J2 ` We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
1 R+ ~0 S( h3 O because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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$ S2 ?& T4 ?2 S- w  \$ M And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
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