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.
- d( a7 v) M5 N+ [  p) t
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
! T/ Y# h9 Y' R The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% E% y- u) j5 [# X" V A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
0 l6 ]- w. d2 D/ X' C% e6 H0 @
1 P$ z+ [- X  F3 C2 j$ U7 t4 _0 n' _ The pebble's place in our world
3 U" I& A1 w1 m, B: n8 b Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 a' l7 `: z1 V6 l6 o9 c 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
6 P. W: B* I( O% W. Z% N Its signature of concentric ripples
) u5 f  d' |( e+ a1 Y) L Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
; Q. o" T; N* s; }: K5 S Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 C3 Z8 ^. Q& I5 l By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
3 X7 `& `6 ]' W- x" Q4 ^ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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" x4 V. o) o' J3 m2 a Aren't we all pebbles?
/ E9 O' y; x# m2 m Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
8 ]% Q5 E/ v. o That who we are meant to be
( O2 ~( K7 ]1 E  R4 [( Z Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
: d9 ^  O6 b* B: ~, w1 B Our everlasting future
' s0 A& B9 p- V3 X1 _7 Y Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
/ q! f' X/ s) m" f, N2 e# h0 N Creating ripples
# g' {4 e4 [+ c$ y3 v* } that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
1 ]  O" K9 X( V6 M4 } not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
8 D5 Z0 ~$ K- J( {( y
2 x3 s  ~2 v1 n7 G  a+ A Our life's prayers our answered
$ v7 ]! b( w& k, s, p Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* }* J3 C/ P& f Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
' _1 C$ n2 s' m6 ]4 K4 s3 |9 W beckon our lasting attention
$ @8 E9 P) K8 m" r$ e We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
5 Z& W9 v6 G, E7 ?# s+ n# \2 V The world will never be the same.
1 k; L# ]4 E2 ?; [1 B, }
4 u% U. c9 V" S And then we have heaven …

/ ]: J! A; X$ a6 ]  H5 w+ f, k Ross Rosenberg
* p% G9 [& [  K5 p% u 8/18/03