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
( V- t6 x3 X6 Y+ s& ` The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
! K, }, |( d9 c4 J6 H. N* {6 `1 T+ B A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
8 ^0 q9 O9 B+ K# ]) I Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 u1 S" ~  i, t% s! g3 x' h1 c4 V But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
$ g9 M5 Q9 C! V8 y2 N# J7 s  a Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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) c+ n! P/ J& W' d. H; S2 G+ ? The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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! a* t- d- |% U9 J The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 }3 ?' E7 h6 d* R By unleashing its unimagined power?
" z* t$ ]2 D2 w, G Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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$ k% V% F  s- l; p+ J  e Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
3 @4 k/ S% \1 Y" M But ultimately recognizing
  R! }- V1 G& Z, `" w7 V That who we are meant to be
) ]6 Y, w1 k' p0 Q& J' i Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

, F1 @; i7 [1 x, {% X- a It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. o; C4 C1 d: [8 x1 N Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
" X6 K& T: f( [! n( j that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
8 {  W5 N9 Q2 L+ ^( x But because of actions.
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. E/ D5 [) w& a( l! b, F Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
  t; t9 J: o" J9 y3 @0 w4 U5 B Of those we touch.?

- C, Z2 n2 `* s1 y* ?/ h9 R: V And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
! w) e, W& _* l9 L7 m& N. A+ u With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

+ y" D$ d2 @3 [0 Y And then we have heaven …
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) L! e/ y' n$ b( P# f; o; ? Ross Rosenberg
# A# x* G$ X) M, L: _ 8/18/03