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.
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5 f" M# b  r- m. v4 ?) [ 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
3 y- M) ^0 V- Z Made small over time
9 L7 P  i+ K; ^ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 I5 N, t' y4 S' G( V A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 |5 Z3 O* x9 l# J" Y  e But just a very small stone.
' A; O( G& N5 w% O1 G4 L
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& r  l4 Y1 D/ R0 |: U Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
, ^$ s5 x2 |# r2 H  r- U Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
6 d& `5 W# \; I: f8 Y6 H Moving far beyond itself.
* t% G' Y( Y" s# p  s/ ` Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

5 e/ }& T" C; d The pebble creates its worth and meaning
) A& y1 m8 k4 S, L+ q  N By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
* V, a+ F$ T% q( X Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
( {6 Y9 j- Y1 C$ d9 a: H But ultimately recognizing
6 H! R* {. j# `' i$ E3 K  a That who we are meant to be
5 e) }# T3 r$ b$ F1 t Can never be measured in isolation
" f/ Z8 U5 J- i; I4 G8 E on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
) d& [/ Q9 a$ G$ ^ Our everlasting future
5 i- u# H+ e! m9 c& U. i Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
4 j9 Q" X" d5 ]3 U7 T Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
6 q3 \' N" M. s No matter how seemingly insignificant
! P: q  b7 K& \* Z Changes the course of the lives
& X6 K  }6 _6 z1 G7 y9 X Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
$ y: V1 l% x$ ^" M/ W! { With the knowledge that
' T: \0 F2 L& R" N3 G because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

$ h3 X; |7 x, M8 Z) L( ? And then we have heaven …
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0 J5 m" y9 ?# Z5 c" q- V Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03