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.

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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- x! S5 [5 A# e3 V8 n6 C Heaven
% U. z$ L$ x6 e& ~* @- c The pebble is worn smooth
7 j1 a- s) T9 U# e" t( |- \ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
2 B( @* c( E/ \; [% N- j' o6 c3 i A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
! C6 X1 \( X: }9 a+ b Is neither understood nor appreciated
# m2 q) M; F6 T* ^8 Y: s8 N But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
! n5 X, }) `8 H  ^ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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: f! Q6 r/ z* O The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
4 U$ u7 {4 Y/ i& V1 f) ~ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
  z* ?- W% v8 ]1 z5 N Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ _0 S+ K$ }: Z/ A9 H, o# G By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
- F9 l' d& t4 t Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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, r  r8 b5 B2 h9 c" Y 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
on a path into ourselves.

2 v- ]# {( h$ c; c It is true then:
+ N- b  g3 N6 a5 M8 R0 a6 K" u Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 {2 K2 W9 \9 n8 Y+ [ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
- o+ j: Y5 X) F! V, j( c Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

4 ]+ _+ I' [! ]4 r, P And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
6 d3 B9 r6 l0 r We will gently leave this life
' x8 q$ g; d8 a" k With the knowledge that
7 m1 t" y4 ~2 M because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

* R  V! Q. U/ h2 V And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
1 [8 O* \2 U: V. q1 O 8/18/03