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.

! z& ?; K1 Y5 J4 a$ U3 l+ H. Q 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.
6 O( {' L! A, D7 Z1 W) \- }+ m
+ }+ s! m- M6 V2 d; |! 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
An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 Q  N+ O8 k. f But just a very small stone.
/ Q2 q, }  [2 |  O/ n6 h; @. M# U
. {- j( ~1 @' ~1 w7 e The pebble's place in our world
) V% x: X8 a7 l Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
) y7 f. L, @( I6 v4 T Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
4 _- \4 p9 N! w4 r4 k+ g
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
  ?+ l* b; D/ q/ c* n Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
5 k% `3 I/ L& `5 d& S; \6 c, f
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# n( G7 m1 _$ `) L- j  Y2 [! { By unleashing its unimagined power?
- U( C1 W4 N" t& Y# M- x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
9 v& e$ {! i) }3 j& r: f3 y
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
+ S! Z# I; K9 l7 d, [' ` That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

6 l  V# W4 |  L. x( X* m' w8 P It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 I( Y+ h, |: Q8 X7 g Creating ripples
: b, h7 H( E/ H7 v! {2 J; G$ @2 H0 ^ that leave unique mark on our world
; S2 \% E6 C$ o; n1 f9 _/ Z Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
0 `# }- t5 A% V% b& m
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
( Q: D* D9 `0 C! ] No matter how seemingly insignificant
) {/ g* I! Z6 @: d- S  h) C Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

: R9 h  V$ e$ a And when the icy winds of death
, C2 R8 P" {: w: ] beckon our lasting attention
& @# d1 ?  ]# U  o8 p8 D$ Q We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
+ B1 d" Y7 ^; [ The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

+ s  h) `7 S" i: c# A9 q" r Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03