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
4 k7 Q( y8 s; }% j The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
+ ^% r7 [1 D5 i1 u" e! z) q8 k A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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/ ^: i5 V3 \7 h8 \) f  o The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 _+ T: o0 I0 b! ^ 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
+ o: C0 Y: P5 @2 d4 \* z5 { Its signature of concentric ripples
3 o1 L# f3 e; R% ^$ l* y Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
. Y" M* ~% U; Q+ r+ [ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

5 o+ ?6 z; }% J  m6 | The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
9 A$ k) t0 Z7 r( v7 Z1 C$ H0 o Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. l' K) S5 n# p5 d' l Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
2 U" b) @4 C9 R' Y Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
7 E" P8 Y8 C' ^4 P3 E1 ~ That who we are meant to be
8 B* ~0 i0 j  f$ N# B0 l Can never be measured in isolation
; Y# h* I8 R* u: d& { on a path into ourselves.

) N2 q# B: T: p It is true then:
6 q1 e; W5 x9 d0 @7 I. S Our everlasting future
( p  s8 C) v) F0 G* R, `# \. k Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
& D8 b% d' z8 C1 C3 ] Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
% o1 E+ z) v3 K, r Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

9 H. U5 f! _" t  l Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
5 Z9 x: j! n. ]6 ]( w Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
1 E9 r0 M/ l1 B8 L! j We will gently leave this life
8 k4 Z9 R- v& |; c, d  r# f( ~, E  D With the knowledge that
7 ~: A* n3 i, C. i  B because of that one pebble
: Q2 V. S- d2 k" A$ X2 g The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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: \1 m6 O5 `& B& u7 y& F( [ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03