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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0 H0 a) V# {8 L+ A* c 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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$ Y! h8 V$ W( f) e) @  Q- d+ W Heaven
5 q. _, v; r0 E. E# v, [+ o$ O: H The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
0 [( [3 ]% G; _+ M+ E A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 A8 H4 ~, R) I6 K4 I/ l* E But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ Y% ]$ m8 _0 V Its insignificance is transformed
  o6 U# B7 ~5 x Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 N/ j* N- _# Q/ C4 F7 B, l  D8 w Its signature of concentric ripples
! o3 V: {( @4 z) C0 E Spiral outwards
( D) H  c6 O7 n7 ~9 ] Moving far beyond itself.
9 y/ ^7 L4 y6 k0 ]& D Gently affecting everything in its wake
6 \: d  b2 O% W7 u; C9 | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

  T+ N- H9 r  ] The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
- ~& n/ h$ k, W8 h" F' ~ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- n1 K  \- d# b* T Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

1 j, W) _5 G( N- I Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
1 \" W% \9 v, Y- b# a That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ T& D  i7 S" q4 w, V; m' C* ` on a path into ourselves.
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& v2 ~# h( h( c8 |( e% O It is true then:
Our everlasting future
" q# S# D. l$ p/ A Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
) E/ z6 c2 p3 N Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
+ n$ o) {" P& N& n4 x1 y3 ^3 s+ D/ u# g Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
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
% |9 B% e, t1 j- L9 H, y3 | Of those we touch.?

& m: O2 p6 W! j8 ]( L0 T And when the icy winds of death
3 Z7 D3 Z1 f  I6 R1 h/ Q8 t/ V" e beckon our lasting attention
  b' n" \' |/ ?1 q# v/ {; p We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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* ]5 ]4 A- w7 P6 V( R) L And then we have heaven …

5 h$ ?# S5 u0 \# k Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03