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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* r4 x2 D! o8 k2 X! a: l3 { 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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& @  f2 l* [9 F! j) s1 Q/ Y: o Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
* a0 w5 q8 _! U& S4 W A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
" S) e. b. R) V0 V" w2 i But just a very small stone.

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 n8 R* Y, P) _; I% O  S( C! x% f Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
: I! V" m9 b3 y$ }4 t Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 V7 \9 A( ?$ F& x) w4 ` Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

4 |, h/ ]6 T! K The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 g; H" ~1 ~4 b. @9 F' J& Z Creating karmic energy
! O# t- ]9 t, \, U' A$ c Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
8 D1 [3 I% U3 O Feeling small and insignificant
: I8 z7 }4 W. k" | But ultimately recognizing
4 R* y0 B2 R' p" } That who we are meant to be
' G* {: o, u- p3 s* M Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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3 m$ W, X8 _6 b9 V* \5 t It is true then:
5 b( \; E/ ?1 u! p Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; l, g( O: ~: Z/ m' ^3 | Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
+ O+ t" r* P6 h, A6 r Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
( I' _" G3 `8 ^4 _' o No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
: X: p& L6 a3 B3 a2 o5 i* r2 W5 s& l Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
. l/ U, Q' t2 Z3 L; G. Q2 p beckon our lasting attention
, U) C# a, A9 Z) Y3 d: B2 M( t We will gently leave this life
( n/ q% Y# n2 y  f, V With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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& r7 e+ ?% V- V: H8 S- G  J And then we have heaven …

; c! s  r- {3 D2 t- D# [2 s  D8 i Ross Rosenberg
+ i, \1 i! v8 f3 Z 8/18/03