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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* ~1 I  W' V% Q 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.

; d0 }/ ^+ q3 \, \1 _4 K7 S Heaven
% Y" x" O4 O# j5 ~& M The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
# U. p' ~0 ]  j, [. p) _ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

' |0 e$ O- l* h  H+ P The pebble's place in our world
; P! {* A3 Z: D% `6 \, G Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
3 D* R" @7 H, t) b8 G& i( q; N& L Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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# W5 X% O: R$ F0 v The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( c- E4 L" Z) l: B+ B/ n Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
1 K1 v2 n$ z$ {: s Gently affecting everything in its wake
- n2 S) m* z8 N" w0 ?' N2 S Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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4 X4 K) }- a! g9 ^" W The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 ]5 ^  C" k+ i" G, O/ h* l# Q5 I Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  Y: \) M! C# Z! f( } Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
# v5 C3 k: V& y2 F' C: ]! i+ V9 q Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
$ Z9 k+ C; h; D+ ~ Can never be measured in isolation
5 [  @% j0 a- j1 S% {8 ] on a path into ourselves.
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4 E( o& O5 c5 C It is true then:
$ T( j: T5 K' c Our everlasting future
, }3 e! B/ _. @2 o: o Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
: E" W! s) z0 F- ~9 z- N* y9 V Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
9 `0 H& O7 ~3 E* Y0 e: r* Z$ C# f not because of well meaning plans
' }: z0 Q2 q  Y) Z But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
, w- P  l" E* j, t* [4 o: b No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
: o+ C) h) ?+ o& U  }3 V4 l Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
) m! L0 }/ l) J$ Z9 r/ @# N beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
  N. Q1 V& b# M With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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2 Y0 ]: _3 t0 K( @8 n Ross Rosenberg
0 M7 y: z6 {- x: h- p, x 8/18/03