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.

: l. s3 g1 p1 Y3 K% I4 f8 U Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
! Y" O2 Q: a! m An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
$ S% j$ Q1 p' @. q2 k+ P2 Z Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ B2 ]8 W) d2 \; s! g( \; Y" z Its insignificance is transformed
  w: E7 e- Z* k3 y. |1 v9 g Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
) W% s+ T: F" W0 W1 W Gently affecting everything in its wake
/ J- @  c' i, Q( V1 v0 L5 d6 ^5 A- u) h Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
* y$ d8 ?$ N( R By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
+ K- G6 K" z8 L  ?9 @ Creating karmic energy
5 L5 t1 M( E0 x& \# R0 g! d Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
% V0 U: C: [5 E9 {
Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
. M9 S6 o# u5 x2 m' a" l6 }* I2 R But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
; k! x1 s5 P6 q& V4 H( y4 a Can never be measured in isolation
& x7 v$ Z: q' p on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ ~  w' A& i# P# x- ]; l& e Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
  v- W: L# y" g+ t- c. D3 U Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
# C2 v* a! B7 ~* w# u3 j: z But because of actions.

" t& \7 c* M+ @* x6 D  y/ m4 [5 m Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
/ J6 k9 R- E$ w4 [8 G No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
+ [' j/ V. z' } Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) t. [8 `' N8 L0 q8 K9 J4 ^ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
5 n1 B6 B$ u$ x6 g8 r$ z0 d The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
) I6 I" }- i1 G. \+ o- U4 z
Ross Rosenberg
0 h# u) V' l1 E8 h 8/18/03