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.

/ }7 W# g+ ?& J, O5 k, y( E4 j 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
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
2 k! w/ \  a# B' G: g( F: v
9 ~& G2 R% v( H The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
8 B4 R0 e. \, U  Y But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 y. k& s( K3 k. O Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
1 ?! r. B0 ?1 U/ R, X! ], H* S& z
8 L0 O# v" a% Z" M' O The instant the pebble kisses the pond
" `. t3 I1 x0 H) P2 m, Y0 K Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
& L( z( o% P( a5 E7 n! ]& Z; K: @ Moving far beyond itself.
# p: |1 o' t3 Y# O7 z Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
* @" B% K* M. g, U0 _+ {( F
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
1 g# n( X; i2 _- c: O; e By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
7 a3 \2 u" G. ` Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
$ J- O4 W7 g4 d" o% }
$ V, E8 l- S/ U: h$ U, {  V8 g Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
% h  [% Y6 P8 y1 ^% D" V  c 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:
Our everlasting future
* v" G3 n( _1 b# \0 R Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
9 [) F+ V7 \5 a8 u# Z Into the pond of life
" j1 p2 E2 N: X3 h6 G, {( @7 ~ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
; U& X( a/ p1 c& O- ~+ C
; g: g3 D' c4 b) Y( X Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
. N2 `8 a! f- |: S0 C* j No matter how seemingly insignificant
, y: G+ ?' K0 @ Changes the course of the lives
  w0 |9 J9 j5 ]# Z+ N Of those we touch.?
. f5 c; e9 u# l2 c. o3 D/ Y
' R$ C1 b, h$ w" ~4 V& g1 W And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
' ~3 d$ K$ _0 L- ^& n) j because of that one pebble
0 ?* I6 D, X# a0 ?0 [7 X The world will never be the same.
. |& J3 \4 J2 r3 w8 y4 D
! _: L# c, E  I7 G/ s6 c And then we have heaven …
& L3 ]& Y, ^8 d1 S( P
7 p3 ^1 z% P; T- B0 H Ross Rosenberg
$ Q2 y. g9 L. W' Q* V 8/18/03