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.
/ z3 q# e  A3 D6 i; W  p
. A8 Q9 h3 e5 a3 s8 ~ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
7 S* }- \8 |( ], k. s% ~# b A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
# f2 ?$ ~! [" i2 f: A  h But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
/ }+ P9 J4 V* k# v7 {4 d0 }  R Is neither understood nor appreciated
& v4 n4 p3 v! I; L8 e2 g But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 b* E6 k9 ^- s5 V" J  W1 Y  `) o) } Its insignificance is transformed
& j$ j% ?: @7 {! Y1 _8 r. w Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
) `; i6 m2 p% b( X
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
; x- r: W. I+ h Spiral outwards
3 u; n2 k5 g& j+ J, V0 |+ R1 }( l$ L4 x Moving far beyond itself.
7 _2 T- b  l9 ] Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 n( m7 [* ?5 w By unleashing its unimagined power?
* P4 U- j6 J& Z- E9 K9 A) g Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
4 q+ H* J2 `2 g/ O' K! a That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
/ t6 r" I0 i  l4 O& r7 m on a path into ourselves.
+ ^/ H4 e: M% n8 z/ F
It is true then:
Our everlasting future
& ^+ {; Q& l* X, J) N7 h Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
; }- V: z% D: U$ ~ Into the pond of life
" n" w" E* H# G Creating ripples
: ~% V3 F1 \$ P0 k9 w1 ~" s that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
( e" C8 I% e7 W! @ But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
9 ?) S. p- p; _* t. |% j! L Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

& Y# o9 j# l/ ~( y/ l1 S And when the icy winds of death
( A# M/ E* _8 l4 U$ ~) B beckon our lasting attention
  ?: O% R( K; h- O We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
; B* ?3 O2 l( ^) r2 i1 H7 q The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

8 J6 i6 I2 @: k4 [ Ross Rosenberg
+ I) R" K, f! I" G& L+ @6 ?, n  ]4 p 8/18/03