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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2 g$ u/ l) i6 t8 { 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
% Q3 e! `9 f0 \9 E- g+ p) }$ o5 I# c2 C The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% x& W; S7 ]' @9 ?( ] A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
# ?+ [9 `+ j9 N* ?2 a3 n8 E9 S. w& X But just a very small stone.

/ T; ]& D$ X, } The pebble's place in our world
$ s& v4 I* H6 o1 x, t; u Is neither understood nor appreciated
8 z$ R& {) K  \( M7 X( {$ `6 j4 r But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
- N% x" ^2 E" M, G Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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: N4 s' i/ z# Z5 ?3 ] The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# U4 ~1 Y( {( t% X: {; H Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
( w+ }5 K  K. R: T8 x" n8 d Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
5 o9 }" T  Q9 i( y Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

3 G) y; [" v/ [+ v Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

% }7 L/ A$ L) T+ e$ J8 W! R It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ c, ?7 x0 B; L; Z4 B+ `1 ~' I Into the pond of life
3 v, R1 L* @0 y8 a% l Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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- I4 C# m. y/ b! ?- E Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
" c; E8 p8 i& e+ q No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
8 ^/ z6 L; `! x1 X* ?+ k Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
4 B2 |3 [8 n! k. o With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
  _! _4 q  R3 X8 W7 k( z) R The world will never be the same.
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# ^) s- ?" |$ ]! _2 i& f% n And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
9 ~$ U' L% w0 `/ C. l 8/18/03