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.
0 ]6 A' r3 u0 a2 H, G
4 D, ^9 i6 f" [9 y: i4 y Heaven
0 |' Z$ N/ J5 G The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 P5 E% @2 [: c A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
' d) P9 |( p$ j/ r An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
" y2 L+ _% i  d Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# S& K! h7 N: P% O) c6 F Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ |6 _' m- `) u% K* ?+ b- ^ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 a* K# A) {  r- D  D Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
- h& C! E7 m' o  I& Y4 Q  j( j) z Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
. [, ?% d( ^2 X( M* B That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
+ o; V8 U) ?+ O* e5 b+ Z: t Our everlasting future
4 R% g- O  P( U. Q$ N$ a Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ {( u$ G. O+ i; x Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
/ \  q! C+ d  Y$ r0 p that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
5 k# C% Z. c' z9 F7 K4 O. r; L not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
" E3 f9 I/ `2 U. y' k, p5 Z- L  T
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 m0 q7 D5 H5 l% n- _5 { No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
, D1 v  J! G2 k0 g0 q
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
7 \3 a& |$ P+ D With the knowledge that
/ c! F+ m5 ?8 c because of that one pebble
2 j) H# ]1 h1 C: r5 O4 ~ The world will never be the same.

6 W: o& R+ T0 Q" g' _3 | And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03