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 D0 s" m, O/ z; W) M 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
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
. s: ]5 j, V" E% b  ]* b4 ^' b An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
) S8 j* _; K! ?$ W, W8 |  s3 \! |0 h
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 b, r  i; C5 U But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
0 l: [4 |9 ~! [- a+ m, E% C Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
1 q0 u2 n- {9 i! h* W& C& I; \
; R& ^" V5 |& W9 J; w The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! i: f- |1 h% V. E+ w0 e: p Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
% |# N' d/ _6 ?* v/ n  c, V/ D Moving far beyond itself.
3 L3 P# I/ t) {' [' o Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
& ~& b& r  j8 C1 V+ r
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 W3 p: y. O/ A Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
- V8 Y* M( P- O. I( l# A, Q; X Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
8 [8 a) ?! e9 H( s: w) Q( m+ z
; H) g' v$ ]2 _& K Aren't we all pebbles?
$ n: [# g; _8 O! t0 i! S: y Feeling small and insignificant
% Y9 V  h0 u% G# L! T! Q$ G But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
4 g8 R9 x% J! {! ^4 i  q+ _ Can never be measured in isolation
: L6 [* z3 V7 F on a path into ourselves.

$ J. _5 z5 @7 q0 l  a It is true then:
* [8 w, R5 `# b$ j3 S Our everlasting future
& a+ c! y6 K: j8 R$ S Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
1 k% L. U% [( q8 X  @  \5 V Creating ripples
0 q9 f: h& K7 D& l0 J that leave unique mark on our world
6 X' @6 L& v& c Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
  o, t" o8 [8 ~/ a
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
# `; L# i+ w5 f Of those we touch.?

9 J, w$ }+ @# H+ H+ N5 D: c/ V And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
& y! }. A! `3 b& y9 e* G' X2 [ With the knowledge that
  E! A9 `9 e4 w$ t; U' s because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03