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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4 q% E: S  Z/ p0 G Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
, [- Q5 {+ W/ _ Made small over time
+ c1 O' i5 h) l' Z5 q; [ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
  b) g3 |3 |7 P& A+ \& w A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
' ^' T+ }3 ?: A0 e6 y. C9 X" |; D But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
" Z: ?' _  w& E* c3 m 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
/ x' ]3 k# `1 x/ b2 h9 o# _ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
& r* z/ @% x0 H0 R: @  \- h Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
& }/ U% ^  q# |* @2 z* T9 s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
5 q9 O! l, l# i8 O+ w* P- }% o; Q; A But ultimately recognizing
5 V+ m( t  C$ L& ?& t, u$ B That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
" C# q; l' K, x! u, Y5 h! Q& ~ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
9 w( O) G' ]0 T* e Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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0 T0 u+ V& Y# d9 K9 t8 ]$ ` Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
" H1 A  O& w& {" p0 _! D But because of actions.
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' B" \4 h( |6 P Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
( w  Q6 t% e; p/ P We will gently leave this life
5 h9 I8 R6 F" |3 y With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
# s- @1 R) j6 h. |( c The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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, H( }5 X/ ~/ _$ Y* n Ross Rosenberg
* f. d, t2 i& l% k6 t) U 8/18/03