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.

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.
1 E+ o* {. C, y$ r5 `$ }
4 r) R1 o6 w& {1 B; Q4 p Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
. z$ h: t8 J1 }, p* u# J7 k Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) u* Y/ z# Y- t) _. i A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
" }5 u6 [, W. [2 H An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
* [  ~3 u( Q! r Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
" F' X1 W3 p. m% Q Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
' T6 A$ a9 r- u/ j Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' G4 f7 Z8 S( C! [7 a; f
9 b- e8 B- B- s, U  d The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 t: M9 a4 {& o6 t+ S. Y6 b Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
; N. ^9 ~3 g: w4 E3 b" E4 M Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
& D8 E: ^4 U/ D' ^0 `3 l( _' Y1 z
/ K- |- h  ~" G( t Aren't we all pebbles?
: z5 n1 M% D# ?& o Feeling small and insignificant
3 y( `8 k5 W) G3 [' r$ w  V But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
2 q( B) f) x* Y on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  N7 @  n7 a# `" j1 m; |" s Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
. a. h" g4 y( c/ p$ \ that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
* a2 H" S/ w! s/ h8 g2 ?7 [1 o
Our life's prayers our answered
. _& A* X% g& @3 u0 _ Because even the smallest pebble
# }4 b7 ^! z7 y" y0 ^0 m% a No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
5 C1 c0 j3 q% X: ~; t1 M6 \
1 E/ W, T9 ~4 f* M3 [ And when the icy winds of death
+ `; K; b, f! y beckon our lasting attention
( R9 i5 Y5 Y5 u2 i6 t( [8 \ We will gently leave this life
4 }" y# |( m1 w0 L4 B With the knowledge that
& W% V3 t2 C# h  V( E9 F# c: f7 F because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
* @" j/ o1 a$ l6 H
And then we have heaven …

1 P  Q- L* a$ H4 H Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03