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.

- `, ?/ k5 {' W( n* ? 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.
' F& h* a9 r6 p$ G" I/ p
6 X5 S( i7 X- v9 N Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) l( r& `7 Q7 c3 P8 s A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
' j, c1 ^7 R) [ But just a very small stone.
- x! @7 z, ~9 S
The pebble's place in our world
, `2 B. W' D  R" n: }# n Is neither understood nor appreciated
3 f3 z7 n3 j' X; z  f5 T& X" L7 X, A But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

1 c% [7 e5 C6 n9 e! k The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 `% F2 U$ x8 _3 i* M. |1 ] Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
- M% M: V, Q' Z: r
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
) W( K$ ]0 a: Q* j& } By unleashing its unimagined power?
) y$ H5 M; [! _) U Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 G4 m, d: @' V; w! b! Z1 \) o Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

: @4 M0 m) d+ |! Z) Q- P4 o Aren't we all pebbles?
5 T0 n- t1 r3 |& v3 a/ I5 U- d Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 X0 `2 U; P/ Y2 I+ } Can never be measured in isolation
3 S+ Y0 m8 s8 F. M- X* c on a path into ourselves.
- C% I# m, Y/ S
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
& H- \0 m4 K1 s& `" z Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# V4 e- ~! b0 j/ q' _/ [ Not because of thoughts
, G7 X2 R7 p5 q4 R* F1 B not because of well meaning plans
, p) v  ~! P! r0 P+ ` But because of actions.

# J. L  q, d5 w2 ]1 Z( f1 U# ] Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
) e, I: W3 G+ b0 { No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
# @" i+ r1 d1 ~3 V- _# k' K. c Of those we touch.?

9 V* a$ j6 S- w2 l% M2 q3 r6 L And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' s6 w/ }/ o+ x' i- a2 o" C With the knowledge that
7 C8 U2 k8 Z- y0 u7 c because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
+ E9 v  {7 Z" ~3 U
; s% D% j0 i- x5 Y3 C. T# x And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03