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.

0 N. S( U! ]0 Q" D, z* t2 z) [! ^9 ~# E Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
/ W% V. [# R' p) T9 D Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 Y& M+ ?0 e& j: u' ^ An accidental offspring of a boulder
+ n$ W1 h3 q) Y But just a very small stone.
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/ p3 X- {6 x" }, [1 B- i, y The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
# S4 [4 ^, A' m9 h" {, ` But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
% W% o4 p6 N/ x' ~ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
2 ~' B8 K, O" }; o2 k& `9 h/ E Moving far beyond itself.
3 t% s  o3 f' Q" g( a Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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, p+ `7 m( u6 s2 @# \ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 M" w& b  W5 K5 k3 P By unleashing its unimagined power?
. a+ S$ Y6 {4 c* C Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 j; w3 U. i( i/ l& U Creating karmic energy
2 \' L' H1 _: D Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

. p+ [' A! b$ C+ q5 [8 ~5 m Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
6 G+ z' A+ F: C3 F9 [8 }* k  G But ultimately recognizing
: ]$ ]- p) g! H  m, f, [9 _' W( ~ That who we are meant to be
% z/ [2 l: U5 o% S: o$ p$ Z Can never be measured in isolation
6 q; |" y& ]$ W3 X on a path into ourselves.
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" q: ~8 {- L9 o4 y! T. y It is true then:
% W! K; ~: p0 r) q Our everlasting future
3 l* R$ r) g" l1 U' H Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
( M$ Z' W. s  J1 V Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
- l* K% b9 g! l) m. a that leave unique mark on our world
/ `: B# u" ?. I+ {! d Not because of thoughts
0 O) r0 u1 E2 V, b8 H. b( A not because of well meaning plans
) J" i" E, S% j$ {( }9 a* { But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
7 ]" j: V# X7 i4 j Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 h9 B# O4 B! K0 l Of those we touch.?

7 M* H' X8 q/ l  L' V And when the icy winds of death
' V/ y2 A  y/ L beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
- G- h2 J; k* |( B7 P6 N! _) T because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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7 \1 X# I$ y9 `& X$ S. C* o  ^ And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03