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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; Q. O8 V, w4 f4 B 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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! y' z: ?2 R! |5 U; c. M4 N Heaven
2 B# J9 n0 ]; a$ l$ O4 d The pebble is worn smooth
9 {, ^) d2 J) {! s3 J, P% D# B7 R7 d Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
- i  C: j/ h$ S" g$ M8 O A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
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
3 w3 H) F" S0 R7 C9 @. y! l# z: x  k But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

4 r) y& D5 a& @# R5 F1 W1 t The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
' R% a; n& ^) C2 x8 ^ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
) ~* @  H: h# u* D* |9 }4 o  c Gently affecting everything in its wake
9 [" U- Y, }( E$ J; t6 L Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  g, F+ U5 l  \9 o; P/ V% E By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( ~5 ^" u$ \+ x* C5 S4 x& J Creating karmic energy
% i# {; _" _: i3 w( N Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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3 a* {0 \6 Y0 p' P" G7 w! w: _$ \ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
' |7 ^# r* `; ?/ g) d But ultimately recognizing
4 {3 Z" d. }1 i0 N That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
7 q0 }' E" X; \4 j; H: `6 T Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 x2 T% r* F, Q4 f. T. j* b* a Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
  B. G$ q. L# j. J5 s6 p that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
3 _$ c% C9 W* Y6 ~ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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* \1 V6 e3 ~5 s7 E( v& |- k Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
6 s% I( h4 {3 u0 x, o0 I/ ^ Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
+ ~( I, d  f" e% T9 B: H0 J3 n beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
- y) V4 q7 r+ j9 I. |; L With the knowledge that
6 S+ j' b; ?: V; T9 s; {5 W5 [* W because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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1 ~% o- K- C) Z  B5 W. N: D+ `5 `4 s Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03