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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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
The pebble is worn smooth
+ N9 S  q- `$ k$ w: f3 i. V Made small over time
" t# @& ~$ C: d/ T A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* U3 l! @6 \" R' E3 V, m A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

8 g( w1 s7 D$ t* v3 t% c* T The pebble's place in our world
) @3 ]# ?7 I- x0 { Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
4 K  m7 o* V5 R* ?) o7 A( m Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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4 K+ ~: h1 R( ~* r. @ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: Z: U. o4 `3 _0 }: J By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
% M0 Q! x0 R( A& v8 V Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
5 X& U! t" k  ] But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
1 U3 I, q7 v8 m) m5 w' d Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

; f9 [- I6 T0 i# l3 A) n/ i It is true then:
' M# _1 o9 @' \ Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  `' J, m* f  P' [* J' a7 S9 { Into the pond of life
( r( F, M! a8 F7 O- T0 `' ~2 P Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
6 X/ g: K% C/ {5 X Not because of thoughts
* T( l5 A% T' `4 W  K8 ]4 J not because of well meaning plans
( b! ]! p+ t7 ?+ k) J* l! m. m But because of actions.

) N- n; u7 B& l$ ~- v Our life's prayers our answered
: u; l  R. Z: F) F9 x8 E0 I Because even the smallest pebble
/ ?. j4 S5 w6 S No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 u$ l" J, [1 y; J3 a Of those we touch.?

* Z& r( ]/ L  x4 _9 Z% t. K7 P: @ And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, H, [% i7 x% x0 I* w3 F2 H We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
! t! |# q" j3 {6 @1 G because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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6 I; ]1 Z4 k2 V4 M# o" k And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03