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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6 a# }2 B6 w# [. V 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
The pebble is worn smooth
+ p# s/ V0 f  m& @" Y Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% u( v! C# ?) @+ r0 p3 N A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
5 R5 D" I; r. s" f; o; g. I But just a very small stone.
1 ~3 B* j5 ?- K1 Y5 G. L! i
" K# W6 ^0 H2 E- | The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 @7 Z9 H3 b4 u$ h$ X5 v% f But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  q1 }$ [2 p: W7 c' [  c Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
  H( N& L0 |6 I8 u8 H$ G
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ Z, ~5 R: O! b* X Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
5 }8 q4 c) L+ r# [" ~' k Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 S/ P6 L. u9 y  s3 l/ T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, g) u" n; b) m% H* o) W By unleashing its unimagined power?
" n  K1 R6 E$ G: P: v Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' o2 U# I$ R3 b3 Y. B- m! g' H Creating karmic energy
& X+ B3 V# w" b+ i8 [6 d Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

* Y; v: |8 W: M+ J( Y Aren't we all pebbles?
" o! E3 p3 g' K# V) m1 Q Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 I. Z3 b$ E, ^( U& J Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

# o# z, L' e' i/ v1 R It is true then:
Our everlasting future
6 C+ Q: G2 K- b% s2 q6 I Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
9 o8 p. O: g" ` Into the pond of life
/ W; V; n+ E1 |/ @ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
' W0 F5 e# S: J! |4 [4 B2 X Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
" C2 Y; b% z' ]. q0 Y' D But because of actions.

. D- J* _, o5 _- C2 i& V# n  l: U/ t Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
5 Y! y$ Z# L4 |& n No matter how seemingly insignificant
; L+ r' N. W: x+ a0 X7 } Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

+ g( u5 K/ h6 N And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
2 K3 e' z. X- m* C. w, G$ i! b We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

4 \2 L, L6 |# S: a0 Y8 |$ d  j And then we have heaven …

9 Y2 j4 q. Q7 N7 i: S1 O Ross Rosenberg
4 r2 ?6 G% y, ]* a- L: _ 8/18/03