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
7 l" M: G/ H2 N: A( |/ J The pebble is worn smooth
+ d. k' n. J/ y2 W$ j# b. \ Made small over time
( f1 B  Z* K! v( w7 E- \+ p9 [ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* r5 d: D( ~4 j7 D A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- J* ]1 I  ^/ o  D9 V But just a very small stone.
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' S- ^. J# ]0 b1 {$ J( o The pebble's place in our world
' r5 Y8 v9 l2 G/ g; P/ z* D5 b Is neither understood nor appreciated
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
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
' ~& a6 ?5 b! @ Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
% w' t% ~. Q; H' F Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

: m  ~7 u6 B# i" d& U' G! n4 P The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
) Q3 K; |5 o! i' v8 P. l5 g6 {3 ~' y' s Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
; u3 `4 }2 h. x5 w$ Y" r Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  {- x, S  b  c That who we are meant to be
8 E; ^: N% i3 M4 g+ B: s) H3 @  h& D Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
6 }" W2 L* u; O9 d. s# ` Our everlasting future
& }/ F6 t3 u! w Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 a5 x1 P. R7 Z' h& j; b: t* h6 ]9 Z- r Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
+ \  Q4 @* v0 b3 s+ Z that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
2 A9 [- G$ g1 m, C+ P! B But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
& n, ^" v- u1 G1 J  ^! y& [ Because even the smallest pebble
. ], J9 ~: q* }0 q2 d No matter how seemingly insignificant
1 ^7 c) Q4 K( E! ^. q3 a3 Z Changes the course of the lives
8 ^3 n5 l5 o2 k& {& A( W6 E8 f* u Of those we touch.?
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  L: Y, w2 T2 _1 z And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
  B5 _) K* X1 W0 d2 H! g2 a' B1 H We will gently leave this life
& ~0 H. ^1 [" u. S9 _ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
# b6 _9 ]1 Y# ~$ s2 h$ W, T1 p$ f4 U The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
( P/ ]* a* A' W, o, V 8/18/03