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.

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
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 J+ i; Q9 E9 N2 g A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
; |- o+ J3 t# X( K  }, O( k But just a very small stone.

. A" j* J9 a6 j( q) ] The pebble's place in our world
. R' C" L5 P4 y4 v" q3 _ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

$ I: f6 |8 e" R7 p5 }& O. h- y- n  N The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ E3 ?4 i+ j3 R2 j" C Its signature of concentric ripples
, t) y# s% C4 a: p& [+ k3 I Spiral outwards
2 C' H1 Q6 O' W Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
7 a. H5 P0 Z) S( H$ \
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ y  i% p# M" c" B. b7 @ By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
# U) N' V8 l7 D8 \) R
" p2 w) l+ \$ w- d) ~ Aren't we all pebbles?
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.

It is true then:
9 a5 o$ Y8 X6 H7 V Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! a7 F4 l, o% c: t' P7 p. f Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
8 E8 @3 t8 [- N$ H. P& y1 D( } that leave unique mark on our world
+ K) P2 V+ P8 z; @ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
5 K. K, E4 E9 ]  _2 m' d6 H: k But because of actions.
" T6 f- v5 o- ~! l" Z) b
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
. N/ @8 d" u, O! l3 ^0 A+ N Changes the course of the lives
/ x/ {8 c- ]( q Of those we touch.?
- e0 F1 A- A( O% m& Q! |9 ?
And when the icy winds of death
$ I, `" h+ X7 O$ A7 @ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
& p8 U  v! B8 l/ ^ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( V3 H+ i( E7 f- p8 o  v The world will never be the same.

2 D0 }: w1 q8 t And then we have heaven …

: R5 Y/ T2 e8 ?7 t Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03