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
" Z6 s5 a6 ?% b' T* ~  y The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
# T$ o4 V( l0 {4 k A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
" d, ^& h$ |/ d% j& G4 d  P An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 {6 M0 b/ G( S, Z; x; ` But just a very small stone.
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7 M/ M* R! i- A8 ~4 q The pebble's place in our world
/ r2 _8 ]3 f- S+ A' o3 L Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 u+ h8 R/ P/ E: K But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* P/ z  d' U; u6 G 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
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
7 z1 O$ ~9 X* v2 @4 B. H/ l) C Gently affecting everything in its wake
* D( i1 V9 W$ ?, ^" Q# y: J, m Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 X3 H& k7 `, F3 o  [" J2 O! ]8 k, E Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

  g- [  {" u2 N' W* P Aren't we all pebbles?
8 t1 t9 y7 k0 @' H Feeling small and insignificant
7 t' Y# p" [5 Z7 j% k) |4 u$ C) h But ultimately recognizing
+ L$ o/ W+ L/ N- q9 L$ u4 R That who we are meant to be
) Y0 r. G7 K8 }+ V# y Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

" }! T" u6 g, m. ~% J! { It is true then:
" w1 v/ h8 H/ n! ~+ e+ ? Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
/ {3 I+ y3 R! g, H6 N: b Not because of thoughts
6 U  V: q: U+ z' o not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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- v- g. S5 v! C5 G. v1 L Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
0 t3 ]: z5 r% T$ p* C* E No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 `/ r4 Q* f* W/ V Changes the course of the lives
6 t$ L9 D: l0 o) } Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
" l5 M3 x$ L5 B3 |/ C7 ^ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
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