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.
4 _- B, T" R! [+ }
0 `! M* S; _# `4 i/ A8 O7 x: j 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.

5 J; y/ g8 p/ J8 l8 n 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
0 G6 X; f4 J2 V  k; k8 M An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 e$ V! W/ D8 _* o$ @" o% s5 T But just a very small stone.
2 |: ?. M3 K' h4 ?. _4 Z
$ J9 U" t, q' ?; G/ ?$ F The pebble's place in our world
4 G* \# E% X# {8 d) | Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
! W3 B, B) O1 f0 |: T. { Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
$ g0 ]8 U# \7 h8 A* T' Q
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
, q+ E2 S" h4 @' x1 e Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
0 i4 [3 j: }' \$ u; y6 |$ T Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
- I" d* Y1 y  Q: F% n- _ By unleashing its unimagined power?
. I7 p4 }: J* _" m- x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
8 q1 }" z( l1 B  r0 Q- j Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

4 g* n8 w' c5 ~9 p' V9 _9 F7 _8 U Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
2 E& x. I: t- ^+ D7 T But ultimately recognizing
& P( q) J2 g% j% N0 ~- P That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
4 g  c+ l$ [, c, p  u7 L on a path into ourselves.

9 s" M. l2 h: `1 {4 ] It is true then:
2 j' c: U; A3 @5 ` Our everlasting future
: k/ p3 y& ]+ {8 p+ c& G+ P" |, u Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
" j0 v. ?% s  G& d% q Creating ripples
  C4 g! i& w" m- T# I, i# }  m that leave unique mark on our world
- z1 W6 S( W% w4 I9 i$ n- {, I/ w; W Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

- l) @+ x3 W' y9 a, ? Our life's prayers our answered
2 f. b9 v" c& L" ]1 n Because even the smallest pebble
, g: M9 O5 W5 n3 u7 q5 Y0 ~ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
1 z6 D+ T/ g1 V" J/ { Of those we touch.?
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" G, w6 A4 z3 t% T5 B  `& ? And when the icy winds of death
$ y2 ]- P  z, Q5 Q9 C4 y beckon our lasting attention
" T6 ~) i# Y" X# i We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
5 H4 J7 W% x" G. Y7 @, { The world will never be the same.
9 P; s' k2 n- ^2 C) f9 B
And then we have heaven …
# j7 @* `  ~9 {& t& F# x
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03