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.

: Z  z4 t1 o4 P9 a% L# h2 E 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.

; H0 k" M: A! \% G Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
* `# K; L3 C9 V; ^* _( W! R A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
: R" {% d0 v+ }7 e( Y: ^2 u5 n8 | An accidental offspring of a boulder
' e+ B7 `" q+ O! h* A But just a very small stone.
5 }9 k" ]4 M  X/ i
The pebble's place in our world
8 }+ ]8 Y( \* e6 k' _, v- a# p Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 ^  M- [. w- y  f) v Its insignificance is transformed
' K0 V( _& [! F  K; R% H- S Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
, y% j3 B+ e; T& v2 f, q# y
! W- ^- u! Y, |+ x; u& n The instant the pebble kisses the pond
' m' U1 Z% ~# }! x7 @ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
. B: F9 d1 w- J3 U, `0 @& \ Moving far beyond itself.
, M! w; X) z* @6 N Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
1 `: i3 I$ W0 H( C' z, M/ Z
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
) M) L4 s7 J2 u# x+ d6 o By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
8 b0 d  @( @+ u Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
1 H. {9 S: T. T- X
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:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
! b; T8 O3 k- z# A; C that leave unique mark on our world
4 g) T" z2 t2 N3 _) n3 \, I Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
8 n5 _: M5 R$ a  i* Y# l3 o7 s But because of actions.
5 {2 N1 _$ ^2 B  Q
Our life's prayers our answered
( g% T, Z) N5 b Because even the smallest pebble
$ t& t+ D+ e9 f) w( k No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ ^) j- O8 b* y: D# U3 \ Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
+ u7 T; P8 @8 n/ q/ M; B$ e- { We will gently leave this life
! q; a% ~1 D; ~3 l; G- F  a6 J# N- Q With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
+ ~. q: w0 |: O# W% `% p/ F. E; \$ j The world will never be the same.

% \2 {1 F) A5 q And then we have heaven …
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, |* i: v3 I* Q3 s' ?$ B) K( g3 v Ross Rosenberg
. q4 I7 I2 J" z" C 8/18/03