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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( A( y; P7 |! B8 Y- B" Z 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
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 w$ n7 o* A( h  i/ a/ L- s A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
' A+ R  i* O) F" X: Y- ^5 ?$ _ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
4 s7 |; k' H1 U, w0 {7 O' c Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 E  e8 a) A4 R0 \6 G But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
! v4 h- a& |0 J0 u. b Spiral outwards
* m) R0 S1 t. b/ u: \2 H Moving far beyond itself.
+ I: C0 [3 r% u- ], y Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ y: X4 _; l- W4 Y& t% d By unleashing its unimagined power?
- m" u. E1 \2 V4 {7 A4 H7 S Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) K0 ~1 [- X9 Z  P) |. J! ] Creating karmic energy
5 B/ Z. N; s5 E% G1 N5 H Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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. @. ?3 X2 N6 h4 ?! G/ i It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! e% c1 @4 ]5 H$ R: n6 u1 }  M) {8 e Into the pond of life
3 U" K4 ^/ r$ f1 j3 e Creating ripples
3 Y3 k0 L  l/ Z2 v that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

2 B- m9 [# G+ F( |; \ Our life's prayers our answered
5 |$ `( s" m7 Y2 l. K$ N  T8 Y Because even the smallest pebble
+ l3 G# v+ E1 O$ U2 |0 z' e9 O- L No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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4 {! \$ m; a* x8 s' X$ |6 m, ]# u And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
- c9 R& M. x/ s5 P8 M- o We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
" Q# w2 ]7 M2 i; X because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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& P" p. V, p- e- W' C# c" B2 D And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
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