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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0 _1 a% e6 R5 @( t- m 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.

. r: a. j8 _! U7 b6 y Heaven
/ Q8 p# E6 b+ {. v7 H The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
  x, Y) R: P$ n0 v, y' b A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 {- x) R+ M5 p3 o( P& A! s But just a very small stone.
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2 c9 ]) o3 j; b  a: ?1 q2 {. ` 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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3 Q+ M9 u) I! [9 R9 t The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ V* |5 e6 F; N Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

* k. z# J0 _# X5 p/ E: } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ l: q* }5 q+ _: D- m By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
* C0 x6 a  L/ Z6 h Creating karmic energy
: P+ n" Y4 u5 I+ K! ]4 Y0 p. N Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

4 j4 Y  z/ n7 s Aren't we all pebbles?
0 |4 f6 w2 l/ S& H6 f0 }# d8 V; f: N Feeling small and insignificant
# M  _* i4 ^9 Y1 F3 u  E But ultimately recognizing
9 t$ W' |  E# D5 ]( D! s, p That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
3 N" R& }1 V' [! x/ a" W5 } on a path into ourselves.

# o) l5 m9 x6 Y It is true then:
9 k6 `5 o% M# ?4 e$ v Our everlasting future
( [" y- P% e2 t2 R  R Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ P6 K1 m7 s* J1 s* l0 J Into the pond of life
: f; U; O7 |8 O Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
/ m; j) f' h6 J) f8 E1 E Not because of thoughts
4 t+ a8 t" m9 Z/ ~% s7 T not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 }5 ^5 S% k* C" |4 D Of those we touch.?
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) R, M8 [4 \. T" E& ]% s2 z And when the icy winds of death
: p. c" ?4 W  |) S$ v beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
% r5 a8 K, W  e9 e% u5 ]0 W% ? With the knowledge that
# \$ q+ ]) o9 t+ A) H4 H$ p8 x& X because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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  V) I  s* b2 w3 S6 B$ g7 a Ross Rosenberg
' s2 o9 ]% o$ V9 d 8/18/03