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.
0 n/ w9 y) e, T9 k, e
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.

Heaven
& y. W6 I$ j) c- M% H. g( u The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
1 p3 B) e3 ]' }5 a8 d- m A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! v) @1 t; ~' q An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

# e/ M# D6 i- V) m, K$ a2 P The pebble's place in our world
, r6 A; `; v) B3 y( S; Y  t& w 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
) e% _4 B6 P- v" b0 X Spiral outwards
- y. n. l( I# ^. P Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
% j3 v  `, g; f( U' k6 \ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
- I; d& C2 }/ f" J2 D2 U
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: p' \# Z! l5 K) i6 Z) W- w, L0 { By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; {( |9 a6 H2 X" i Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
# R& a8 j0 H, O' s Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
! Y$ R8 h0 c" Y) E+ ] That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
/ g8 L! J: N% n on a path into ourselves.

/ S, W  b( p( t* j& { It is true then:
) z$ l" U* y' r' c3 P Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
  a) z6 r& Y6 s9 S2 f4 n# e) W Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
$ J7 k6 ~6 e1 I* a But because of actions.
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: v2 K( q5 r, c: o; X9 q Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* c: ~/ O$ D  v  D  k. t Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
8 L7 U- _1 n3 ~
  q$ [* c( a+ S% p And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
0 G0 o2 t" r3 J' v With the knowledge that
% E# C+ k: o# } because of that one pebble
4 W9 A6 \, @& }7 D1 ~9 k The world will never be the same.
3 j9 W% |6 I# @% h7 _# x5 s/ k
And then we have heaven …
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# J6 S6 H% o. x8 ~! P( P* c* H Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03