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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  A" V' M; G; x; B: k Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
+ D$ x: C  N/ A; E: Q 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
' Q, F* c; u  h2 \$ n But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
: U3 n6 g2 o& G Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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' ~; T4 f# z8 e4 j) D+ W% D: V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
* |+ S: Z1 g6 n Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
) c# O, F; Q' g' X Moving far beyond itself.
% h6 {/ A. ]9 g: R Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
% M3 E  i3 Y" u# \. \9 Q# _ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
% E# f5 W: W- G7 w! r$ q4 D+ V0 L Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
$ W, [# k, ]) Q% F; z" ~: |% P That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, _: s1 [7 U; X on a path into ourselves.

6 J4 i) D, `1 Y/ U8 {# S It is true then:
$ m$ q# ]3 D5 D7 ?4 q Our everlasting future
# P' _3 g+ m! a# \ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
/ [( Q1 L# Z& q2 B5 v& O: R7 c Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
% o# P! X6 U+ Z- g4 x Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 k- A( B4 H7 H& x" A2 U) H But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
- X' L6 q; l9 B6 s: O6 _ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

  y6 R* I' A1 U5 Y) {: K4 Y8 ] And when the icy winds of death
% X; F# L. C, v- |( c5 O/ r beckon our lasting attention
2 k# n$ d" p: N+ y We will gently leave this life
/ b8 ~5 h1 V7 y% q With the knowledge that
$ }# M1 x' u% C& E! {! e% V# c) Y, D5 m because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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# ], r* e$ p) V+ ]1 N1 q And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03