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.
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5 i% |! U5 M/ J" ~ 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.

# {* ?4 X, i  R9 [0 F  p$ p- n Heaven
* K/ o; u! z# F* K2 U7 d The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
7 w: L. ]- @( e  |! K A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
+ p& o, q9 x1 S2 h/ M But just a very small stone.

" l" v. w' ~# O4 U/ Q The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
2 P1 s5 R6 @5 N6 s5 S But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 `! w: |- H( Z7 N. P* W9 N Its insignificance is transformed
. T. W. Y, Q" K: N7 F, T/ Z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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" ^$ ?1 C" I+ ?: U; j The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 V( `; ?5 B) H1 v. L Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
6 S3 e6 G: j. Z3 M$ d Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ v1 _! Q. W/ j* [5 D0 p Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

, Y+ c' u4 L+ s0 J7 Q2 n. R/ [ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
! d, B  M( F4 ~5 P Feeling small and insignificant
/ ]4 r' P# W4 e But ultimately recognizing
2 l. `6 {5 U$ Q' [ That who we are meant to be
% Y0 [  O( E2 ?/ j- R7 x Can never be measured in isolation
7 t* ?: k' Y. e2 d" b3 E4 \7 T on a path into ourselves.
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. b: H0 s& |4 g: ? It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
* v: n1 s  L8 a! ~# X, r" ` Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; y+ \" r* }" L# {$ A2 j2 |) y Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
/ l/ Z- Y( M( j2 n2 x But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ |! H+ b( l3 k5 ]$ x; H$ f8 @) F Changes the course of the lives
  A4 N0 y% b/ g0 n Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
' {4 f- K) o5 j# i We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
9 F/ s! V& M2 k% T5 t because of that one pebble
/ U7 A$ Y; `7 z2 ]' b6 c% p The world will never be the same.
% B& r0 E! q$ B  n4 t( y) x
2 `' T6 J: p) V7 c And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03