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.

( [" x, C3 S, w( B Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
( z3 H2 O$ y8 i$ ^' `/ K2 a Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 k# G' Z$ j- p1 r8 `8 {( `6 p A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
0 S/ R6 T0 G( K& N: ^. A  U But just a very small stone.
$ F) }8 ?5 g5 U" f6 W. R
9 _/ O" j" r; V. N The pebble's place in our world
* z: S7 B7 A6 b+ i2 w Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
1 Y# R3 Q! E+ [ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; ^+ e# s  l$ k  [) L7 @) b0 C- x Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
* R, y2 P, G) x7 w Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 `; T$ x7 p$ @- @* l" o By unleashing its unimagined power?
( K( i8 w! S) n Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
! J0 Q; v0 g- Q' _+ R( q. f
/ D5 D  z! L" F4 E Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
$ S1 ^' r4 |4 L9 T Our everlasting future
  d8 M! M& L8 @) d Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
8 ^, c; m1 D- L0 ~9 n1 @ Creating ripples
; n! b! e0 y* ? that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
" f; A& u( o, ?" d, @
* m5 U6 h1 J! n4 B6 S Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
8 d4 ^8 g# s# R$ \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
! E" O$ G( d% ~% n: b% W Of those we touch.?
% ^/ i; q* y$ z6 i/ T
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
; S0 z, S3 f" `! a The world will never be the same.

9 k- V' E& U! J9 N6 @ And then we have heaven …
8 J" H/ Z4 n/ [# s+ ^
Ross Rosenberg
' S& {- j8 }  t) f 8/18/03