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.

8 r$ B3 J: l4 x 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
Made small over time
/ S* \) I6 C( j' H; a4 b% U A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* z5 o  s& O3 V" e( Y# z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

2 S1 @; [" U1 w  j The pebble's place in our world
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
! W3 Y* |- _: Z4 C; U2 I8 { Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
8 O9 L  f3 c1 ^  B+ [; x Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' M2 A$ y8 o8 q* \9 M% u+ W+ ?) Z
  L# J) V# l) _" X# u5 z, X The pebble creates its worth and meaning
* x9 N9 T( x% { By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
8 w2 M4 D8 i2 F# E( I$ X4 M& h Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

$ e3 ^5 M) B' h8 q$ e Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  E, o) w/ p# n That who we are meant to be
1 E$ w5 S! B& _, e Can never be measured in isolation
& K& V3 S, v# ?7 h0 O& z, _ on a path into ourselves.
$ c4 R; B& ?+ t1 o1 ?* \$ r
It is true then:
0 I8 @1 q# N6 X1 A Our everlasting future
; T# F- ?% R* X9 X Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
: u( A- [$ p) `( W3 P" r* G+ y- r Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
) |: |7 e1 K. C2 m8 V0 R. J7 t+ `4 p7 D Not because of thoughts
; Y) s8 l0 a5 V not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
" Y; a0 x" i: z8 b6 C1 Q7 w" f
) h# z  C. f9 t% T5 u Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
, r! A% Q! C* b# f$ W+ B+ O Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
/ @$ d. s0 f8 L" C0 s8 q beckon our lasting attention
9 v4 J, x- T! Z* \/ ^; i& C: O9 j We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
+ A$ t6 w/ H, v because of that one pebble
9 A5 {1 k+ V) Z) }' _( X The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03