埃德蒙顿华人社区-Edmonton China

 找回密码
 注册
查看: 3919|回复: 0

Heaven

[复制链接]
鲜花(0) 鸡蛋(0)
发表于 2010-3-12 06:36 | 显示全部楼层 |阅读模式
老杨团队,追求完美;客户至上,服务到位!
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.
- f% _5 ]# _9 F- }2 ~  Y 4 \2 U2 D6 B/ `: |9 [0 x
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.( Q4 B& i& c  q5 |: b) i

6 o) N& ^& [: R9 X1 A/ \ Heaven
6 F& u9 e  @, I' P7 g The pebble is worn smooth
/ L/ ]* G8 k$ Y5 \: }% x+ I3 ^4 p! n Made small over time
. ^! D; W# f5 w  B; k A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
$ f# h5 V& q2 [- x A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
% Z! C- S  h$ N# W An accidental offspring of a boulder ! J' b3 o% `5 a
But just a very small stone.
4 G0 O% t9 \9 l( Z7 {
$ F- f: n6 b+ ]5 O The pebble's place in our world
( {/ k% w  {) g! Y; v Is neither understood nor appreciated
( o: P& H7 I* ^" C& t  I. q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond 2 G2 u6 k8 u- g& q3 Q0 ^; W
Its insignificance is transformed0 I- F) l, Z; W- s
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
6 R( {# `8 b6 z+ V
8 H7 ^1 d% y9 `3 { The instant the pebble kisses the pond1 U  c/ Z/ m+ O# X
Its signature of concentric ripples 7 A; C, e( U3 `# \! i$ `& ^
Spiral outwards   ^4 K: z9 c+ i2 h9 v
Moving far beyond itself.
1 a/ r8 ], b) l+ m9 v Gently affecting everything in its wake, ~9 @  x2 n& l; J# b" E
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
! U6 v5 p1 M' R: g# o4 d* f ( y8 Z9 [0 O/ i. _) e: x
The pebble creates its worth and meaning 1 X" G. I# U3 y# G4 ~' O$ [
By unleashing its unimagined power? / S0 O) g9 X2 I. T
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  s  Q! d8 X0 _) D! D Creating karmic energy
0 c9 z# Z3 `6 I1 A2 g Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
+ K+ o. u4 G8 a+ H/ F/ j * b) j- c) G$ d2 a3 ~
Aren't we all pebbles?
' G. u' B' P# K) z Feeling small and insignificant
' t) q  @+ F5 s3 ]6 I! X6 t8 @ But ultimately recognizing 2 V7 F" r4 F7 _, C7 {+ c- J+ j) t
That who we are meant to be
5 Q9 I3 G) G1 P( r8 S& M. m' M) ?7 j Can never be measured in isolation
8 g, a: i0 t  a+ D) q on a path into ourselves.
% X' n" q  I' F 8 K7 Y7 v6 Y% Q+ ~
It is true then:$ p+ ?; y) q! p7 N
Our everlasting future ' `; V0 I4 W) T
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles/ o% D1 E$ W; W1 r
Into the pond of life
) J% g5 m; G; |5 `2 X5 K- R Creating ripples
* q" O: ]: q+ @4 a. q8 Y: ~ that leave unique mark on our world
. l+ s  R3 t: a. _# k0 R9 a) ~# G$ N Not because of thoughts $ T. X0 K5 J- K2 ~7 W
not because of well meaning plans
5 K- d; w! ]+ `4 D- w But because of actions. 5 O2 o7 q, }& X9 ?( z# S
2 r. Y7 E9 @$ o7 E
Our life's prayers our answered' I3 @; `& [: J0 ]/ |" f. d
Because even the smallest pebble / i/ i( s8 I6 o2 b
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ D& H' B8 V6 E+ u. J: h, n Changes the course of the lives
7 w+ y' t. [. T Of those we touch.? / J% E! h9 U4 O! q
% F( o3 M4 K  h5 z
And when the icy winds of death
$ ?  e3 a: N% d: ^ beckon our lasting attention3 {4 `+ E9 z  ^0 w7 K' o9 I
We will gently leave this life
9 ?/ w9 ?3 N0 e' ?6 m6 i' r With the knowledge that
; Q0 W" {( l( M! m( O6 S because of that one pebble 5 |5 n1 v: ?' O; b  D
The world will never be the same.  i2 N% f6 \9 D/ P

# A2 N* @* d9 ?5 x: X And then we have heaven …
" e$ S8 p  l+ U7 s% t$ j
) u/ n: a5 R$ ~; f" |( v. A Ross Rosenberg& M0 y; }* `, |  d
8/18/03
您需要登录后才可以回帖 登录 | 注册

本版积分规则

联系我们|小黑屋|手机版|Archiver|埃德蒙顿中文网

GMT-7, 2026-4-7 03:24 , Processed in 0.201593 second(s), 11 queries , Gzip On, APC On.

Powered by Discuz! X3.4

Copyright © 2001-2021, Tencent Cloud.

快速回复 返回顶部 返回列表