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.
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  H2 r$ x. U, h 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
8 P6 Q: V3 C1 @% k7 |* A Made small over time
' W2 ?5 p2 S3 a, _8 p+ ~( x5 ] A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
; `$ E! K3 f) W8 J6 \$ ~, X A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
+ {" f4 V. A) c8 `8 ~: x% }8 I But just a very small stone.
# l# H& t5 o1 M; f0 a6 X
! R( O2 M6 o' }0 L5 \- C+ n The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 K( q/ w) _* N- r1 a6 t$ D But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
( L5 y3 e- P- J5 ?! `: }
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 F& l: M) D) F0 m$ a Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
3 O1 N# n. m$ h$ d5 v8 w8 |& L1 R Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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% C; V& k3 O2 U2 p9 z The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, X  M  R! I4 t5 }6 a. q By unleashing its unimagined power?
" u2 C% w; x2 {4 O. i- ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
6 e1 U4 E1 Q6 N* x8 r% b% C Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
9 I- w* F8 f5 M( G, I' j# o That who we are meant to be
: `/ C# [1 b% ^) b+ q Can never be measured in isolation
3 W$ t, Y! u- T/ I! J on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
/ m3 |3 e  }, b; n. ` Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
0 X" I; y! Y: c# m* { that leave unique mark on our world
4 w& S% X9 h) H  O7 C& W6 f) M* Y. x Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
& a" o9 l* \6 Z5 `* m But because of actions.

5 R+ _4 l$ g: |3 O Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
) G9 O0 \- X  t No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 v+ K7 E5 X* c* S8 ^9 d4 L4 Y' q Changes the course of the lives
* B1 U! }3 J! l3 R0 a# M: } Of those we touch.?
+ a- V8 B/ E9 H3 @1 I: |6 ]- A$ y
7 x5 ?/ B5 j6 S And when the icy winds of death
' ^4 q3 s- I7 U2 p5 V beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
3 b7 @+ N) u- | because of that one pebble
( J: A: |  }, n The world will never be the same.
+ }- i4 c7 a3 u, _, W% n
And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03