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
The pebble is worn smooth
, k& _  z; p( } Made small over time
4 W# J+ {5 [# T A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
& v  a, \& {' T+ z$ W; G But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
% J1 j5 m' V- r6 j/ K But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* ^# v8 J& v4 p3 M. m Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
' {. g. d: t, H9 F Moving far beyond itself.
" E2 B/ c. Q4 S Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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- [  v0 Y# \5 [8 g7 l* ]& } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ ]" T! P* e- L By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# a, z- y& `& I$ q1 S Creating karmic energy
% G/ p! j; z1 s3 ]3 m7 I$ ] Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
5 W  Z: \+ q6 g0 v; ~( [5 Q$ _ But ultimately recognizing
0 S* w+ x' T# A) [4 z( [% X4 b! | That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
; t4 ?9 `5 r; ^ on a path into ourselves.

# R; O9 A' Z! X5 c! R It is true then:
Our everlasting future
$ i. P  `* g9 r3 [4 B4 y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
- F6 c4 k9 A# S, s0 H; o- H/ d Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
$ M9 q2 z* R* y" V' J Not because of thoughts
. ~( i4 U% w; t2 m" d* k not because of well meaning plans
; W1 N* b5 J) w. F& _9 a But because of actions.

; e' A1 m/ e+ B+ O5 }# d3 ^5 ? Our life's prayers our answered
5 k& K" J8 z+ _5 x5 y8 a Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 y! ^  |8 j$ y4 r9 p' { Changes the course of the lives
; P# w* ^. ]6 Q4 x# }7 { Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
0 x# V) r8 \( f4 r% _& R# K* f With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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8 |; k2 a+ I6 I, |6 H$ V9 d6 B2 F. m And then we have heaven …
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- w8 U9 {4 ^$ `5 Q( Q6 ~ Ross Rosenberg
1 L2 c8 s3 l# f! r' ?6 c 8/18/03