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.

; w. f6 Y5 {( i2 Y9 g Heaven
; [" C7 V8 Z* Y4 A0 I+ R5 { The pebble is worn smooth
+ V' `2 V  Y3 K' ~& W4 d+ m Made small over time
2 [0 U2 j% h7 m; ?3 r A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 w# R/ R; F% o% b8 G. B9 ?7 J& v A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 O* t( e1 G. ~2 v& r3 `4 F6 l An accidental offspring of a boulder
. K) M4 `: o  N3 z$ v" }: D# U But just a very small stone.
  Z0 y; }3 w# p/ v. k* F9 V
. V+ n' N/ [0 u The pebble's place in our world
9 O0 j% }. K) z4 K; Q# u Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
/ [0 h% y. J7 k3 V4 S5 W3 L6 q
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
5 b/ s6 O) w9 I7 |$ Y7 J Gently affecting everything in its wake
' e. x9 V; c$ G Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
" Z$ F9 M/ ?5 ]. O
: F! `. W# H$ O- J# A0 x The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 ~. i$ O4 [" \) D0 ?& L Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
" x. y! L* H  R" K2 z) b6 U
Aren't we all pebbles?
& S: K. d! `- q  D Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
4 K* ~. e( B7 a+ k$ ^; a. H7 | That who we are meant to be
9 V( K& ]7 Z7 y  h' d" ?4 O8 w Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

4 O3 W# ~$ _% m8 {0 x* z It is true then:
Our everlasting future
7 F4 D7 D# h  {& | Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
0 L5 m7 x1 W/ I0 ^- z8 C that leave unique mark on our world
0 k) d  A# E" @$ A, k8 a: `8 q* ^ Not because of thoughts
/ b* p8 Y  @/ q% T, s% I8 [ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
8 F" `# Z! o$ z
Our life's prayers our answered
  i  d+ J. X; d Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
/ Q( ~7 y# e% q" u% p7 P# o
# f# D0 K9 o" t# f+ \ And when the icy winds of death
2 g# |! Y: ?# _3 q- n beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
% u0 `7 B2 F6 |) @  X) }& j. J0 ^ With the knowledge that
8 x0 D0 s7 @5 T0 }3 \ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03