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.
5 L7 f: x$ E( `% B
+ @4 ~, \  d& x# ~. c, i* }! k" f 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.

! I0 F# c" E7 a" e' \" r Heaven
8 G7 ^9 S; u/ B2 z The pebble is worn smooth
. l' P" Z+ Q$ A: A, w8 Q; d3 b Made small over time
4 Y$ n& T4 q5 O5 w  z; M2 a A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
/ Q+ v' Z0 k+ Y  x7 U  A3 h1 I8 p' | An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
! k9 J: k4 K5 S' K
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 @7 I' h6 S5 m: a Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

. }" M( Z/ o5 M+ `! I/ | The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ Y+ A) m* t; h  T/ T+ m0 g- D Its signature of concentric ripples
  q: a7 @7 V# B Spiral outwards
' T3 H1 o6 {9 z0 O Moving far beyond itself.
% H5 h& G" w( c: B Gently affecting everything in its wake
: |* l. u9 j9 G  |+ W7 [3 B Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

6 i' T, P  W' @' z$ `: a" i  o( M9 l The pebble creates its worth and meaning
6 {' n% \) f: j* f* j9 X. r  u$ L By unleashing its unimagined power?
% }- o# x4 s. k# B. F4 ] Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

3 U/ ^& x6 m* h: K( e! c Aren't we all pebbles?
# g0 ^3 A2 Y) o3 Y' g Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
, r6 I7 L( ^$ T5 B" g$ q That who we are meant to be
2 R* w4 H( e9 z: c) F Can never be measured in isolation
9 b- @! H3 _( u on a path into ourselves.

# r2 F) a1 g7 ] It is true then:
1 X$ T* u- o  N1 @' c; v- W) c2 o Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
8 {% U* a  k+ H2 g  E Into the pond of life
5 ]) b: n: p, Z8 T6 L Creating ripples
  s( D. K# k/ F; m/ [ that leave unique mark on our world
) h" P! m9 j/ n, d0 y$ n Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
- N7 _. Y: N+ Z: R But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
- F# G/ S% L3 o  c* O6 m- C Because even the smallest pebble
& t" E4 b) {" y$ M; N- h No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 F' q2 ?- s# p' |, `( U Of those we touch.?
3 @0 p+ B% H( S& r# @1 y
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
$ ^# u/ V/ ]( t$ i" h" W With the knowledge that
* z- ?0 \2 A" `  Z because of that one pebble
; A% T; v' i; F: U5 |, A The world will never be the same.

# a, ~( C+ o- ~9 o1 Q8 }" Q' O9 o And then we have heaven …

1 Z, C7 Z0 Z  \* H& _* c Ross Rosenberg
. x6 N+ b: h# t, ] 8/18/03