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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
& L2 Y) e. {  G8 L3 S4 H Made small over time
9 M$ W" k2 B- b' L" P A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
# N7 `+ L) h- V: J1 c A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
, c5 m( D! k+ p/ H2 R
The pebble's place in our world
6 H, H3 R. L7 {+ g# y; u Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
8 R, Z, S: I+ a: A) Z( u6 Q Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

- X+ J* y9 I* R2 t The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ X' M% L3 s- _" k" p Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
4 x3 I0 Y2 j; y Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
' P! E5 e/ C2 C+ Z# H; o4 O4 B
+ |0 x# D5 _9 k  N5 Q) z The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 A4 T# d6 B' }/ ]2 ?0 U Into a dueling force of action and reaction
2 q. O7 @2 |% W! S: {. t Creating karmic energy
( A7 q8 j8 ?0 s& `* i6 g% `- O Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

$ ]" ~5 U7 e( z% ?- {+ h Aren't we all pebbles?
! p( j- ]" j& P# E5 M( r# g Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
. O' u. J3 i: E0 g- I% O8 e That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
9 U9 |" P% c5 @; H0 E on a path into ourselves.
( c4 V! g8 M( F( ?
( R* C$ j' e% Y" v8 D It is true then:
7 m9 z# w8 U' g5 y9 o Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
3 K+ x+ |: r. c! y7 Q* {# F4 C Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: }& G8 D" i: a3 M" C6 {6 y$ m2 J2 N But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
7 f; T- ~# b, `8 b No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

! h' U) @- W4 p  n" ^( Z# w And when the icy winds of death
# ]- A) w6 E4 I0 {6 |" ~ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' p  K( A* |7 Z% t! e2 S- O& O, _ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
# [! `/ B* ?0 t) g+ Z The world will never be the same.

% z9 \# x6 `* l" h2 B And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03