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.

( G# h& {; T5 t5 e5 ?: G8 g Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 K+ \5 m& }5 {9 k, z! r Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
* D2 b0 _+ ]  j! X1 u4 {8 i; B4 `# d A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

# b: t+ u& x' S: q The pebble's place in our world
8 a$ Q, F5 c1 O, ^ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 y- D  I6 W; s( }. R# Z5 G7 O1 Q9 F Its insignificance is transformed
9 F: E1 R* N6 v. l6 P Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

+ I- k$ P7 ?* O8 _. _. T; Q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# d8 y3 B/ P" u/ L- a, ? Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
) {7 V! Y: w; v: Z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ w! T+ t7 C! {7 i  H- | Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 b- \$ ?7 W5 q' `9 e" @ Creating karmic energy
! z+ c# e4 R; @5 m9 T/ r+ S6 ?- d Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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) T& {% Z% L' J- w' S Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, M7 j4 a7 `! j$ N& S on a path into ourselves.

7 H8 F% m1 t% `8 u. a# x9 v! ]8 u It is true then:
1 E3 H& k- M: W( }: D9 h, x Our everlasting future
  H% g, r+ V. N* v& k/ U5 F$ F Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! Y! Y7 ?( \# f) b Creating ripples
" n* w& o+ ]6 `4 h! C) E. O, C that leave unique mark on our world
7 M; o' M5 a3 Q' z Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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% Z/ I! }8 v7 D% @: {3 N Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
1 h" h7 M0 U' e3 I8 n5 W: D Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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- @8 W. v  E% z2 y0 M And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
" H- t3 V7 q) w: F5 l  J8 e* q We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
, P$ Z0 j4 e! `+ [ 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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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03