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.

& ~5 u2 e9 ~" Q/ B  n) K/ l# p; b 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.
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Heaven
2 H6 G6 y' I) |0 L3 G The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
* I7 u% T" Y- n9 }: _' R/ o) O A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
! A0 U& t8 R, U# c& S A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
  Y2 K& j& A, i- s But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
; s1 E2 O" E8 W8 t Its insignificance is transformed
, ]* u8 {/ H) B/ o# [! F" y) i( P! g9 { Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
4 W2 c+ U: @7 R( d% F4 B
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; |; T5 B" y4 u6 k- B Its signature of concentric ripples
1 X9 X# z1 @( l. C5 r Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- g9 S7 z$ N  R9 ]1 {$ { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
  W+ b! F- o+ j/ H5 r2 l8 [8 ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 j- ^7 o3 i5 u1 Z$ U3 C7 w# _ Creating karmic energy
4 S  `* K( E9 W+ e8 [ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

3 \% ]: F8 F9 j) c9 ?; r, h( f Aren't we all pebbles?
: H! s" q" [! B8 w6 F0 ~ Feeling small and insignificant
. H  X4 M* i; e$ _ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
1 q( \" v" p+ _" N5 } on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
5 D0 a  `, ?& u1 J1 j Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 g3 u8 e+ h7 Q/ W  x Into the pond of life
& i1 D  X9 J7 Z% c/ x! u Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
0 K/ o6 B) k" E2 Q$ `$ ] Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
) ]$ J; p( \, ` But because of actions.
3 y$ e8 m4 H+ _% c2 f4 v
$ v, O0 E( o  d3 J2 g Our life's prayers our answered
. `) m) ?; I4 E  n7 {4 N4 c$ D Because even the smallest pebble
) g! _5 U4 L7 u+ H) o  U No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

* g) ]1 o- Y: }4 Y& T% R And when the icy winds of death
+ S9 _, U/ @8 X beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
* d& Y7 P8 ?% a0 l8 W: |4 g# [ With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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7 t" s( q; l- `- d$ j7 n Ross Rosenberg
; j, _& |0 B6 C1 G  {$ @ 8/18/03