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
+ \1 A1 W2 _3 B4 I& r5 e5 s$ ^" e The pebble is worn smooth
7 P  b/ }/ U! s+ {: Q5 | Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 D% D( B; R/ p: D& U An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: r/ c$ P6 j& ]% Q$ X: D Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

% g- X9 A: i4 | The instant the pebble kisses the pond
6 o0 N! [8 r7 q4 U$ J: B) J* r$ d Its signature of concentric ripples
5 _9 c3 l, j" t4 l& Q Spiral outwards
& O) I. C# @! T6 V; K Moving far beyond itself.
. E( l3 a1 I+ ]! B5 L" U  ]3 } Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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( D: {- c7 S1 H; i: f- \5 F7 H The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
' D5 J% {( j# ?1 z0 r Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  B) W8 Q5 f- ]: d0 y Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

8 D) ?0 t/ a8 W: a* H9 n* f9 Y Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
/ s) u# R+ @. j  _' J Can never be measured in isolation
8 ^5 Y, L  T& W2 }" p9 v7 J on a path into ourselves.

' e5 N3 |/ I) @# W2 o It is true then:
! k' m; ^+ f( | Our everlasting future
$ Z3 l* }! o, _) S& c5 R Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
& r# Q$ E3 y2 F! O' W9 }  g  O( q Creating ripples
* w* v5 t$ x1 j  Q% l that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
' r/ c6 b& U" h: J not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

. r/ j+ M! `2 @& p0 g Our life's prayers our answered
4 `- }* |3 l: L1 G9 }! n8 g3 ^ Because even the smallest pebble
) o0 }) L" H6 x3 N5 ` No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
# L- V0 |8 {# [, P Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
! u. j; I7 x" F4 E. M7 {% Z$ @ beckon our lasting attention
9 f/ Z  [$ f. v/ X5 s We will gently leave this life
& E' \) ^& m( }0 a$ E2 Z With the knowledge that
3 X3 h( b+ p0 @2 T because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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: G! A* j: k9 p8 G* }" V2 B% @ And then we have heaven …

5 Y+ r" ~& T& c. f+ V Ross Rosenberg
/ t( m" f- {& ^& ?, P 8/18/03