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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6 @! h1 d2 e+ T6 t; Q 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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$ f* [& X: F. r. e% |( _ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
* M1 q  F, S# l' f. Y An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 }' ~# c# b4 A- z But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
# S8 K1 g3 k5 m Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
3 f: R9 f2 e+ D; }' e& e Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

/ h; v! g6 t. {' r/ M The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
, ~( `* T' Q5 z- ` Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
8 M4 t" ?" o2 b4 B" b# Z, h1 Y6 E Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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+ w4 \- I( h; \9 S. w2 } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
) }+ j+ x. p6 b, o/ }' A9 ~ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( ^8 @- D- H8 E+ @$ F: {$ ] Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
. C: J8 k8 W, u! ]2 `4 J8 f Feeling small and insignificant
+ {$ n* d6 z% y But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
7 Y0 r6 g  b# z+ a' d Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
+ z+ T4 |+ a7 l0 U3 B7 O- ?/ g Our everlasting future
) V9 L3 G& F. S# z Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
* w! ^3 Y! |. r* @1 {, ~ Creating ripples
1 I* r9 \, G6 I  D that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
: s9 |; A7 l6 C$ K5 X# b not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
$ k2 N. {. x1 ` Because even the smallest pebble
, [" |9 y2 _& s7 b6 k% ^ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
  @: o( S* `2 e: j0 V5 S7 O$ k) ?9 T Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
$ J( t, y9 v3 |1 n$ U) u* ] We will gently leave this life
$ q1 v! @( S8 z+ E With the knowledge that
1 z* T2 d/ t; D6 T# i; S because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

% B  w$ I* ]: ?9 e$ m6 a4 m Ross Rosenberg
1 W3 N4 M8 Z" N 8/18/03