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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0 p. U$ x* A. h6 F( @, F' J Heaven
$ f- t% R7 U) T0 Y5 i The pebble is worn smooth
. i# P, g% }9 K( j Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 ]6 p7 a! y0 a# V. E$ j# X% I: W A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 z6 g* p) ^) z! e' l/ P 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
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
/ n2 [+ w3 X0 j) k; W/ r Spiral outwards
3 U  l$ ^! j9 S) N$ d Moving far beyond itself.
4 J: K+ H& |3 f; z) b+ }' ] Gently affecting everything in its wake
- W4 |2 J% i( d6 W: O0 }: H Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
7 N) i$ i' M* I4 _2 F0 \ By unleashing its unimagined power?
: F; W* e. Y7 _ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. _  Z5 F' p& j$ ?, V' _ Creating karmic energy
: g6 r! Z1 p! ^/ g6 v) L2 f, Y Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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! P6 k) \$ D1 G& J4 _ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
9 _# K7 I/ w4 b, E. _; S That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
/ y& R- j! t- w+ B on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 g! c) Q/ I5 b! u( B; H Into the pond of life
# I5 _. H, g% E4 j0 v# O Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
0 C; I$ M, Q3 K! M Not because of thoughts
! v( m. p9 {6 f& {, k3 d) } not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
8 o% ^; {4 L2 V! i6 i No matter how seemingly insignificant
( d! e! T) I  W! @. S' f& L6 j Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

9 m2 i, B5 O7 y- s" o: @* r6 b And when the icy winds of death
* N1 K% N, p1 V5 B9 Z0 I- W: T+ | beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
/ p9 i) m3 x7 g# o+ j- x! t With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
/ o8 A0 n4 i& D$ A3 R- U The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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7 {9 g7 A* M; x4 A& z2 \/ M Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03