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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
3 q2 }- d4 Z- ? Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
: A2 T( U: X- d( a A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
4 K& J" k$ F; ], Q- t# t3 r" o But just a very small stone.

" Q& u) @/ @  r* ?+ t The pebble's place in our world
! J/ o( P: K7 v  n0 @+ ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
+ X. x" P* [, t+ C Spiral outwards
3 d! J; t" h9 E9 ^& E( o) ]6 G Moving far beyond itself.
5 }8 J/ l5 O- d Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

. Y& N6 w5 S2 B& I0 w, ? 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.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
8 X' T. G# |) ~ Can never be measured in isolation
, @! M% N  _: W on a path into ourselves.

' c/ u* y/ [5 _) L! Y- t It is true then:
Our everlasting future
- g* H, N9 }" e% U# V! n! O8 R: j3 ~' `4 n Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
' d" _! Z: `- [( h# ~3 G. j+ q Into the pond of life
8 \. p& T7 B' Y: |" w8 ]* O% J Creating ripples
& ^3 h* L3 u5 R, f" g! m& Q that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
5 b1 ~! d" m! x7 _5 j6 [ But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
( {! O+ c4 I. N3 G, y9 m- o5 z+ F Of those we touch.?

  n! q) b& E# _$ A1 ^ And when the icy winds of death
/ m4 s) v/ D3 Q" \, ]  F8 x beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
5 z$ x, r$ p& h9 z With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
5 g. h4 K( I: X9 w  l$ f- V The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
5 X; K/ E0 Q3 _4 A3 A' m  r 8/18/03