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.

% X  w8 J# A5 b" Q0 c5 z! ^1 Y 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.
  a6 I" b# O5 R3 m3 E) O  T* X' [
7 c# C8 _2 r/ n; k* u- M6 w: x Heaven
8 s* P  Z5 z. z& M  ?1 P The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
" U* I; [4 ~- ^9 j A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
* J8 E0 x( K& o But just a very small stone.
* D  V( G  X" G# h) G
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ l1 P! [$ }9 a- h9 R& f- K But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ T- k6 ~5 k2 N( Q& G( Q) z
' \6 u* }& J4 O# | The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( O, p4 T1 G2 h! `2 [9 g Its signature of concentric ripples
: j5 D. ]+ H) U5 V/ H& j Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 s- C# S& T# ?$ G Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ {. f6 n& T/ y9 T( i Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
0 i! m( j" \: q% M! m
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 y% b0 t0 z1 p  P By unleashing its unimagined power?
( r5 T5 |1 c6 D( G4 l7 m+ u Into a dueling force of action and reaction
/ t# C3 c8 r' }# z Creating karmic energy
& u: {7 a4 M7 x$ s7 D- ~ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

: F& K, m% E/ o, D/ P7 X Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
% ?7 W! H% |" [, ` But ultimately recognizing
3 O, T! O- D2 t" z3 n4 a That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
! }$ E# j4 F8 y1 p on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
% l7 H) Y' W! I7 T! f; L4 v' B Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
6 w8 b. u; W, B Not because of thoughts
( P/ F' X$ N  K( Z: Y$ u not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 H  |5 T3 R8 ?8 b* X. ]# O Changes the course of the lives
6 G, [( o1 G3 Y7 B7 M Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
& C1 q& b& y! _, \! c beckon our lasting attention
& ?+ ~' {1 R5 S* w. o( \: P We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
0 S: |/ _2 j9 U7 Q$ { because of that one pebble
8 q; [: N" i7 T The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03