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
9 b9 }4 I+ _  `9 R7 U4 D/ [ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 V7 F7 I7 W- {0 @1 ~% M An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
. n& ~, @, H7 m* h- [ Is neither understood nor appreciated
  p6 }6 J% E" L4 M8 ?  S2 l But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 G! P9 V9 A+ R, h- V  J+ ` Its insignificance is transformed
1 i4 U  l6 t, x8 k+ _8 \ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
9 [5 g# [; v, C- t7 y  P# N) L+ j
  S- R- n+ {: ^% B6 H6 { The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ `& b4 }  e4 t& B, J* w: f Its signature of concentric ripples
/ {5 O# Z  Y2 J: g  D$ V1 v) W# ~ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
* e, _1 T; o) Q: r2 } Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
, ~$ z- I" g$ n, T: K# h! X
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
  c4 V' b  S  q0 @  S Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
4 w' B/ |$ J6 j0 v5 L" {9 F: \+ x
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
7 f) L. ]! Q; h: j2 s+ G6 y That who we are meant to be
# u' c* F% q& D2 }& q Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

  r: Z/ e9 @% c& ]9 r It is true then:
$ D+ A& E5 ]+ t9 A+ f% l Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 t. D$ g5 `2 A7 @0 y$ b& h; T Into the pond of life
$ c9 R4 M4 X# ^' Y) |# I4 H Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
  \4 p/ }' K: Y7 O not because of well meaning plans
3 S) D3 f- K& M% l But because of actions.

# X+ l4 @& ]& q' O7 W0 r Our life's prayers our answered
( ^1 U& Z" y: f( G, e5 _( O Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
  Z6 N5 {) P! F% H. ^, U2 s
* T& L# J( y7 e, Z" l: o: W; @ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) N: v, f4 |0 b/ ~0 w, Q With the knowledge that
# |( U. c% S3 w- R+ o because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
+ A0 P+ X+ Q7 b& s( _7 Y* |
1 x# E# Q; V# a And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03