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.
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) L* D+ ?0 w; I9 I/ O6 w8 d) U' s Heaven
  x$ V9 B3 e  I The pebble is worn smooth
3 [8 v/ u: W; z0 O: w; C% z; R Made small over time
0 R* ?* c. ]! L0 o+ I- X A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
/ i( S& h7 ?4 R/ t+ D But just a very small stone.
0 `2 [% n  v' `$ a2 Q
  f/ r6 B" z# G1 u The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
! @& J4 C, f$ q; _, e2 O But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* ^: ~$ Y" V7 c! l+ V Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
* ?6 j4 J; \# j6 z5 Q
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
4 b$ L  E6 N& R: K% }* \3 I Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

4 p/ v7 R: a# c2 i  x The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ |5 a6 a, I9 |3 _5 C$ i& P0 j$ J8 j Creating karmic energy
6 ]" h. m: Z# P/ w1 v7 { Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
' _/ R! i; M: y
. K/ K  I! Q! `: @0 g. h Aren't we all pebbles?
' `' n* K! ^' g0 o5 [/ \3 ^ Feeling small and insignificant
# }: S9 b6 U4 r But ultimately recognizing
7 K; E# ~9 D9 p- N4 I( c/ A That who we are meant to be
/ C. f& s# f. S Can never be measured in isolation
( N7 s/ c8 K; |: @( s6 b on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
4 [' X1 r: f# f6 o% s Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  T4 D$ c3 {0 D Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
1 z$ ~3 l1 G+ `6 a$ ]: r: W; v. S that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
2 v2 z6 {/ @" d. @) O not because of well meaning plans
* o$ n7 Z4 D/ e( W But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
* \7 v- A! b3 j/ Y4 Y. H: h Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
: y- {1 C$ L% w& H5 v- w) Z" j8 H7 w beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
9 p# m# e2 `' L* |: j. M8 V With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

/ }3 B9 \% {8 U And then we have heaven …
' y+ x$ N; I3 h* W2 e: z
Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03