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.

+ s' P+ N: x* O 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
5 r4 j3 M! t# t% Z* I: o8 t Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
- s8 j8 W) {% R9 o! t A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
( I6 D, D* z# z! A' t5 I: r
2 H1 ~3 o' a9 v6 S- i The pebble's place in our world
( z% ~/ r* I  ~# G: {( {: {& C3 y/ B Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
( ~- ?" H' H2 s# R4 x+ t- ?8 f Its insignificance is transformed
6 ~. Q" R5 O- s Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

/ e" |; F8 u0 U5 D; F The instant the pebble kisses the pond
) t- u) U; i) d( N  _ Its signature of concentric ripples
, [5 H5 P( q; X) X7 P& _ Spiral outwards
% X$ R2 N! C8 s0 T* b Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
* `% ~( P7 l6 Q/ q Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: ], {2 {# l; \6 o  H. C2 c! ? By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
/ U' E; c8 p+ `* {' V: A Creating karmic energy
/ i' E' ^9 l1 M# t7 J# p Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
5 B. e( E5 V) m9 b! Z5 z+ y  a0 \
Aren't we all pebbles?
" o7 e) u5 p- T+ B* \ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

! ~% r% V1 s( G1 ? It is true then:
Our everlasting future
/ A4 Z7 x5 P' A& D; D Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 H) o8 i- P$ E* T6 f  D0 r Into the pond of life
# `0 \9 Q. p) X& v* i3 I. ` Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
* W# R4 s  D0 a) h+ M. C3 M Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
- [7 W+ |/ n4 B: j4 ~4 ^ But because of actions.

7 Y9 G# d# A; m: c6 { Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- ^  |0 j. W! l" y" D7 x No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 @/ u; e; W) J0 \  q0 D/ C Changes the course of the lives
/ M4 h/ N, h2 b+ y: c+ ^ Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
0 o% o  O7 L) ?+ q; Y, ]8 Y3 o We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
% y# S; U( e" A% o% t) y The world will never be the same.
! [/ l& [- N6 b
And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03