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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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
; p! l9 O6 R4 w The pebble is worn smooth
: ~! I6 L& y( K& C! {: g Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% K3 J& S$ ?* g+ p/ P: p* x$ Y A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 ~4 k& j1 d; V/ W* c$ j$ b An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# F# e6 G4 {, |% q. S2 g& T4 W0 [ Its insignificance is transformed
! j: W7 W% J; J! n Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

: I  \1 z" B; X5 O% ^" @ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
# m6 L5 W! Z+ X* c: u8 f Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! d% N+ o0 G$ ]4 X4 m2 q By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
+ B; H# Z2 [& P, o6 b! h 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:
7 N" o: f* H- ]# n Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
, v6 Y- Y8 J' v, L6 u6 n  J Creating ripples
* h" N$ f% R9 b. d6 Z that leave unique mark on our world
) t* s0 i* A8 ~  C, X Not because of thoughts
7 n; }% H7 ?' I2 g' Q' z4 W" R( ^8 e not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ i7 `8 z$ w" ~- J% @& W Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
; Y9 r/ S7 e# e With the knowledge that
: w4 u! v' a; a because of that one pebble
) X$ b& B( k& c% p; }5 p7 } The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

  [+ U7 n4 F* q: M# c" @ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03