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.

* [- R& F* O; b6 d& x0 x) ?$ Z 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.
3 `: H; F3 Z/ a1 q6 v
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
9 Q6 T6 h5 ]: K: }( C) a Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 }! r1 U- d6 h/ c# K5 E A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
- j8 |/ R6 O9 T$ w8 [* K. n Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 M% V  x% d4 i6 E  l3 A But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
' x( Q: v8 _: {! ^ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

' C9 q' D- s& G The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
+ I# a. L0 B/ s+ H+ [. B2 y
- e. X) O* `8 Z+ E, e The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
( f% z$ g3 d5 R* ~9 D+ d Into a dueling force of action and reaction
( }8 V7 X/ t5 j  S) t Creating karmic energy
. _! P- C- e% y9 E" o Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
1 d- Z, J; r) q4 i* f4 F Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
7 r+ M  c# s0 t4 p: ]. \ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
6 |! z4 h6 ]6 Y/ F8 \ on a path into ourselves.

* W! z7 o7 a" H; { It is true then:
Our everlasting future
9 z6 p/ Q, U: t( x+ V$ n% n  @ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% Y9 ~9 r& H' c( j4 B Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
3 N3 q4 O! I6 V0 [# o6 g But because of actions.
3 O: K+ R3 s4 o
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
- H* w$ h/ u/ x4 u Changes the course of the lives
8 v" @2 Q6 r% ^. m" \2 _* Q Of those we touch.?
# U# P9 `0 d( w- T; @# u
7 s. n8 y$ K/ G$ Y7 t2 v And when the icy winds of death
; V, L/ U+ I6 B% Q" W beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
6 {4 c7 a. e. P1 I/ P9 [ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
: q6 C. ?9 ~8 Y* d2 A The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
" p# s) }. _7 H 8/18/03