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.

4 |9 U3 ?* x: x9 v5 ^& Q7 K 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.
5 W& p0 e, b: |% ~
2 Y9 s5 I2 ~" d  f. R+ P0 g6 n Heaven
4 x9 t: \. C' i" g! e5 \ The pebble is worn smooth
+ d/ w' I1 R0 r; h0 S; z& ~ Made small over time
2 n9 Z* R4 ]! z& L A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
. o! v9 I' h* x% K* v6 g1 p An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
6 \5 z3 U5 R+ A
The pebble's place in our world
& U' x. z! }  o! W1 X% U7 | Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
" h2 o, y  a) p3 T7 z0 G3 w8 |# @ Its insignificance is transformed
, @) A- d, i. P8 |: u1 j& e/ P Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
& }' G- n# x. Y$ Z' m* K- k
. M+ [: w! r7 U3 {* h5 l The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
8 k2 Z# d$ u# g* } Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
6 M% d9 m; @( m1 h3 l Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ k: W% J  E  c- t/ T By unleashing its unimagined power?
; J0 |0 Y* U% Y5 p9 N) ]" j1 ^$ I Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

1 P& R! R+ o6 }6 C) m$ A Aren't we all pebbles?
& `9 Y: h8 j, A, q4 q Feeling small and insignificant
# p# u7 _& i( r But ultimately recognizing
. _2 H5 V2 v* o9 `/ \ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

9 E6 A9 }. ^, D# z It is true then:
5 ?- f( |, u  @4 W. e6 {% q: t# ~ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
. ~- D  m+ w, R' G0 w; p Not because of thoughts
! D5 d7 ~2 g4 N4 C3 d not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

. s/ U+ ^1 d% @+ Y6 e- z Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ V# _# P0 H# k  a3 k9 ?' n Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
( `: v$ T$ }4 ?. D
  m- a2 l# g0 x( F3 J3 X  q And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
$ _& h5 A; b1 |3 J because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
( y- Y4 j  F( K
; z2 M- C8 H3 b3 N* a" c' o And then we have heaven …

. d+ h8 e! ^/ o) L- Z Ross Rosenberg
8 K$ k. _! z' o. X2 u7 M 8/18/03