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.

+ X3 K5 U! J. N# A* P 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
  w5 ~. m7 r& U* h! B) F 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
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
6 y" |: M# K- J* L) m" L" t) s2 h Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

% M, O& u0 U. M2 R The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 n, V4 ~" W1 X: O8 D0 L) j! ` Its signature of concentric ripples
) R! _# F/ C- P  L2 l5 Z6 t. A Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
6 |2 q$ [3 _4 v4 n; q& O* L. X5 C: a Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 x" f* v( D1 `9 c- F By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 x* h( b0 a$ F3 f% H) I Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
# q8 P. j! m7 l  ]" }8 a Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
0 ^, P7 r% Y- U* Y) y But ultimately recognizing
5 _- E, g9 V, [. x/ S. F6 L That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

1 [5 f$ {  S6 T* N, S0 h It is true then:
Our everlasting future
$ q) `- E# z4 }5 S& |/ _ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
# ]" E, r3 H. N" I Into the pond of life
& r! `+ e. T  \' ?7 w8 i' v1 t! ?, Z Creating ripples
% K- d' @* ?) s9 Q5 N/ v that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

& Z2 d- r8 c( g" B5 f5 e3 ^ Our life's prayers our answered
/ z# l' J% A7 E& k* c3 g Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
) X$ W) S" g# T; {! u- m Changes the course of the lives
8 n! q! y8 O$ ~# G Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
# K/ x0 t* w# w' R7 S) z1 W beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
+ l( y  l" T% C+ m/ ?# Y 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
8/18/03