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
. P1 {8 ?4 A( p, h Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
& R/ {( }2 F4 X. K+ b6 y' t) } An accidental offspring of a boulder
4 |, R- r, a: @, C! | But just a very small stone.

" t7 P) r. h5 n  U6 x The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 q) j) Y  J4 \1 i Its insignificance is transformed
# K4 @: K& Q7 I7 N Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
$ g0 P" K. I3 |  R2 H Moving far beyond itself.
0 t4 W* e* `0 c: R5 R Gently affecting everything in its wake
. F" F0 s3 A8 g1 A' B7 W: E Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' x6 p. [6 @  ^; }
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
7 _3 M6 s; D0 G- h" v- B9 V$ z By unleashing its unimagined power?
- K; t& Y: `- c, g Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 e6 S+ Q1 T( A! z0 X# ~ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

, ~4 z. G5 r8 N, ~; V6 W0 Z5 _" X) T' ^ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
9 p% K% b$ |2 A: l5 d9 ^, P" h' } But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
7 ~1 {9 @$ u& q- v# d1 G
+ w' V0 M2 i6 U4 B5 u; O It is true then:
Our everlasting future
: i" q8 [) ~3 A$ v Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
3 L  P4 F: u' y3 ]/ t+ f& s not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
6 y3 r1 o% x. q9 m; ~6 k- G8 x, J0 \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
" Y2 F/ Z6 @" N! l$ k4 i% {& Z Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

' r# b( s; g8 A( g- ` And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
5 ~" v; a* g8 _; v' b3 k With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
* x6 |, f* L: X# |, _" m
( s% g: T3 n! ?+ @ And then we have heaven …
4 D3 B8 A; z+ I% y- ?; j
Ross Rosenberg
$ d  {  e" I/ Y, A! N  x' o7 m 8/18/03