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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: S# b; u4 Q$ x! t3 D: A% \ 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
! |0 ~, a; `4 W2 p$ V+ S Made small over time
9 h4 J2 G) f1 K; D6 _8 Q/ a/ x+ B A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, E8 S$ w6 \) X: w0 S, a A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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1 h9 p! V/ H9 ]" O9 w( ~. R6 H The pebble's place in our world
% A: w. a6 K' M Is neither understood nor appreciated
, x7 q4 w7 l# @2 h" Q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- C6 k4 G1 y  c  W- I& t Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

0 X3 b, A) o8 ]9 B! @5 Z2 t The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
8 j1 A2 p* N! |; S' d Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
- u! B+ c" C1 f7 | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
) B6 Y# h3 G- T' M$ J Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 e$ N6 M' p2 H/ H& b. o" M Creating karmic energy
* I5 z- b( ]% S- ] Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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( w- b+ @( d4 j/ S Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
7 `: j! ~: u( P But ultimately recognizing
; J) y0 m/ T6 N/ ` That who we are meant to be
% E6 t8 Y5 O) F: S Can never be measured in isolation
5 }: J0 V5 k4 n$ f' `3 ~9 C- z# t on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
4 u4 A  B# Z7 R% a; O! b( i Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
* S; M( k2 W- f Creating ripples
$ h: X6 I- l: q' }- g' y4 `7 Z( w that leave unique mark on our world
6 l  \4 R( u. n$ ~) e$ ]9 }% ` Not because of thoughts
* t: D9 j8 y! T" M& L! E not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
) P2 ^- D5 H: g0 | Because even the smallest pebble
8 u9 u5 o: q# M1 Y! d5 P( |* U No matter how seemingly insignificant
' N; R. E" g2 U: }' B Changes the course of the lives
1 T3 E+ m4 t# X: q Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
  |1 f3 {' d9 _8 \; f( M& Y# a0 M/ W beckon our lasting attention
( t- B% Z# N$ t We will gently leave this life
2 z9 C" t: @* x- X1 k4 h/ p With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
9 l8 \+ O8 ~; D2 { The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

9 g: K' }2 o! U" d" d6 a Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03