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.

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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, o9 f& D( D1 G# e% y+ e Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
! w8 a8 R1 d3 t5 s: d/ j: C Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 T4 {' W0 g8 W5 P" ]- M3 ~ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
/ H1 g4 e% Q% j6 |6 D2 x 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
# u0 B# d' m1 i- ` Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
+ b9 L& N! {, e2 F! n% g Gently affecting everything in its wake
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
8 \* h+ ]6 A6 p/ o9 j! B# C! i. N Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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/ v5 @0 g- t5 _4 ^+ ^) U6 @2 G Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
* N0 w) J/ N0 G9 p Can never be measured in isolation
' E3 w6 G; g: S8 O7 z) F2 D5 v on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
# ^6 `9 a2 X) T( D Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  \2 h$ n. {; h0 q Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
7 M4 L' h+ V. z0 N. Y1 i3 b Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
2 a" t- b# w4 w+ |2 Y4 g. c9 e But because of actions.
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0 x1 V: c8 H! J3 @* y/ Y, B6 Q Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
8 y0 O# t- x% N7 ^ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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7 A+ C, Q- B0 z And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
( C6 e+ X! I# |5 t With the knowledge that
$ q, U' J: J+ w* |3 I% r2 a8 R 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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; k1 f% {7 t/ W Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03