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 F- u+ t7 u5 [' r  v* |# ~0 n 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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& V/ O. j' ~3 i Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
* h% a! q8 m  |3 p* L" ?$ |) r Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
: @" ?2 g1 {2 n0 _8 X An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

/ o' }6 _: q: j4 d5 d- L0 C" m- k The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
3 o- U6 n' b1 a1 ?+ d8 O/ i But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 Z% ]1 Y0 V' ?* p) v1 F  Q Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

' L1 E/ W5 p% E$ q. N% a  E/ c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
: b) M3 _  Y) P& n Spiral outwards
- ^; @$ O, h3 \  C Moving far beyond itself.
: `0 L* ]; b7 U9 y+ p Gently affecting everything in its wake
7 B7 p$ I! e/ A2 |9 r Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 p& p" \1 i5 f Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
" a" F" q2 v5 a4 S: ?5 O8 n Feeling small and insignificant
$ G4 U: B* W/ T& ]6 j But ultimately recognizing
  N  X9 p  A+ h# \' K0 V6 E; {4 _ That who we are meant to be
' s& D1 L  m- I1 F0 m Can never be measured in isolation
6 l$ ^& @1 B  n: B* k; i on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
5 z3 J! u$ V5 m: z Our everlasting future
2 z' n' ]. s! ?; l9 K) x+ n Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ {9 a! w$ q1 t, t/ f Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
1 {& B/ q* c2 O8 }2 }9 T; } Not because of thoughts
: r+ [+ t1 t! H- G- c$ D not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

: x% m& C6 T' \( P Our life's prayers our answered
- Z( b/ z4 }, z0 {& O0 d Because even the smallest pebble
# w5 w6 |4 x6 T% _ No matter how seemingly insignificant
: x& ]" F7 V$ p! C- |# M Changes the course of the lives
( B- p2 i5 Y8 \+ { Of those we touch.?

) b- O1 k$ F+ P. P And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
  v- l/ V8 m, J7 q With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
. ]+ e' |: b- f6 h* L  n The world will never be the same.
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+ W5 L& r7 o6 P And then we have heaven …
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4 D" |' i( q- O$ i3 `2 ~+ }% a Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03