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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 G2 [8 U( N( U% o+ U2 g* j' v; W$ w A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 w8 o  y. _  r1 @; D' r, W9 s But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
6 [0 K- U  {" G7 Q" p/ I. @- L Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
' Z) l$ G! M) ?5 [! n3 E Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
% T$ ~$ k. B8 r: e* C( K" C" } By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
8 p3 O: Z" J( S' O Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

  r8 P, T4 Y% o' D  P Aren't we all pebbles?
9 b' B9 P" K" a$ R+ y& I% P4 y, ]9 c Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
" x: C$ h/ ]; b1 w That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
( v& _; |6 k' w% M on a path into ourselves.

; o/ m5 l2 g, a( m3 K  o0 f It is true then:
Our everlasting future
3 W4 K# ]  F( M; g. r% Y$ K: ` Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
* r) k( d: L3 K that leave unique mark on our world
( ]5 c& J+ I7 r1 H# g Not because of thoughts
( }- @; V0 A6 @! l9 A, X not because of well meaning plans
0 L5 v- X  e" x- Q0 R# T7 [ But because of actions.

- v6 V) a# b# `( i5 j% W/ x# w5 @ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
" H( F% P1 x2 d No matter how seemingly insignificant
; F" D" D. H1 v4 {9 c) z Changes the course of the lives
+ F2 p$ B4 ]* Z- `7 l Of those we touch.?
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! F+ D# S* o" g; X  z( i/ B5 N And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
+ }/ V8 A6 b+ N5 W  Z We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
4 h6 B! r7 U) m1 Q because of that one pebble
1 f* U( r0 s# u) n. Z4 @: d! z The world will never be the same.
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3 _$ _. d  x5 F/ g7 W1 S5 \ And then we have heaven …

: P( R$ x0 P- k Ross Rosenberg
; ]4 B' h: n, u# N+ F 8/18/03