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.

Heaven
" x0 C! w' C9 m' B! z0 s: e The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
7 K2 K' B8 c1 Q A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 }( @  v, s! u/ ~5 c7 v8 t9 h9 Y A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- y  v) k% J# z2 R  j But just a very small stone.
* K& x) l; v" d
The pebble's place in our world
, A2 r! Q  q0 b Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
$ Z& T6 S$ Q' J# ~; b6 { Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
5 g' S$ K1 B/ F) H( Z" t; m
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
7 R4 L+ Z5 p0 S9 { Spiral outwards
% i+ C! N% Y6 e0 K; s# f: C Moving far beyond itself.
+ n3 J) C+ K+ k5 ^- o4 H Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 r* |: C  }" H, M; J& f/ i Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

& n( b( M) B/ N3 p" U# x/ M) U5 ` The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ I" J8 ], P, {  L8 k. l By unleashing its unimagined power?
, S( t! F! \  t Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
8 ^) K3 u  @# P: E3 Y8 j2 y Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
% H  b$ H1 j# [2 a1 v' h
5 {" o, P6 H/ u/ w; _7 s: g# v Aren't we all pebbles?
+ {( Y, [+ o! \9 q6 r2 S' I. R Feeling small and insignificant
& ~5 p% L: r8 i" w But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
- b+ `2 h. m  _ Can never be measured in isolation
8 K. A0 X* p; E0 w9 ?# O) n9 d on a path into ourselves.
) g8 |3 V. v; f/ ~, v
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
" s! P# n# f, D9 r# ^% ? that leave unique mark on our world
7 `2 }5 U) v# j% Q* U- v/ S6 ^ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
' U2 j) ~7 W1 ] But because of actions.

: F- y; g, x; Z! _; u, E Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
4 D3 O8 A% z0 a2 B+ ~3 _6 O/ O Of those we touch.?

0 b9 D& D- B) Y- L! W: B; g And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
# X* T4 e2 ?& ^5 A8 [ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
3 F- j9 t- d5 e: C$ {4 X 8/18/03