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
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 p% J3 y, [) q A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
: ]2 H" r8 t  f$ O An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
; }# Z# _: x/ R; R' P+ Y. x Is neither understood nor appreciated
! x# ?0 ~/ }4 q2 |& H0 w But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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& }5 X+ H( m: X& W$ ` The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
% R3 E2 Y3 q/ m Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
( [/ e9 @& F- i2 u- Y Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
  C" y0 j5 q1 U: P! [# I' ] By unleashing its unimagined power?
1 e, d' k. C6 {) H Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ e, o, @5 E) |- t- | Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
3 Z# V% u6 H  z$ N8 ^ Feeling small and insignificant
/ T* i7 n$ U9 I0 ~ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
' V% N  Z3 ~: h4 U4 B1 _ on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
+ t$ ?$ W, G0 C: Q: t Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
3 G$ g% A3 f% Y% t. N' J" U Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
$ N3 h0 g! h9 H2 o7 Z7 f that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
! I3 X( y8 S% z" J- j& b+ z Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
: D. c& P+ }" Y9 ?- J0 Y Changes the course of the lives
% ~& `5 R& g- `; k+ O/ S& i Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
/ \' l  M$ g: m/ E) [2 e beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
! y0 \) ~' B5 Y The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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9 H% i5 h9 K! l# D5 b% M0 b, t. g Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03