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.

' y0 p/ r' J1 ? 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.

* d6 o: V" l8 P, i Heaven
3 W) l8 |0 N0 B- h' e' g7 ?/ g4 e The pebble is worn smooth
) g6 a9 M: d+ O! M% x. G9 J Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
4 ?* }3 S. M' e, e An accidental offspring of a boulder
  J( o' x  k) Z; \ But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
5 L* g6 k2 z. w9 X6 Q: [8 p Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 \6 u. u) h7 ?% j) N$ ~. w But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
0 W$ W: K0 M5 ^/ X; W
" y3 L7 i  ^# y  p- }  ~; ] The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
4 f8 j' C. N2 W0 P3 C9 D! x Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' k1 c( a3 s! [, P4 m% b% f+ t
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
) [+ v# {1 a2 b5 d( Z) A& U1 U Into a dueling force of action and reaction
" D# n% ~9 r# v7 D$ A& d Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
7 u: C7 k+ n- Y
' R2 l6 J: \4 C" _ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
1 V6 e! N3 i1 i+ z/ b Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
6 H% |0 x; P# Q+ U* v+ D; a3 t Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! q6 O; @! w+ C5 j Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
- {! q% P6 d% A. t' i# S# f  G Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

- X1 P, A" N8 m3 L' H2 I Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
- ~' J- w& A0 P1 _6 Y4 {( G Of those we touch.?

5 d3 |- y3 F1 e$ Y And when the icy winds of death
9 K8 W* K+ F* Z8 o* A beckon our lasting attention
" a& t" A7 o/ t6 @ We will gently leave this life
( v3 u$ J8 I  Y( v" R With the knowledge that
- A, `6 \- x7 ~% ` because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

6 q4 x5 o) Q/ C$ q And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8 \: G9 X  G+ l# x 8/18/03