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.
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) N" h/ E1 f# P) H Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
9 f5 U: }+ Y: x0 G An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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' o$ W+ u$ K+ I! a# r The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
' V+ p' p( G. N5 }, G) W Its insignificance is transformed
3 @  {) E% \/ `) E Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

+ [0 E5 N3 D  t1 o; B% H The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
3 v# C( g+ E" J# l Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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# @8 d5 |9 G5 f0 N8 X$ B: I The pebble creates its worth and meaning
9 I1 l8 w. `9 q4 k; f/ L By unleashing its unimagined power?
) Z1 K" j. v' [9 y/ T Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 O6 }' ?" l' O% b  c7 r Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
& ]4 a. `0 m) b5 f8 l Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
" u% A- M" D; N; Z% {- P* E( ^: a. _ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
9 j) O  e; [7 ?  H) [ Our everlasting future
7 Z  b) K+ S, K& U9 F  `: | Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
* I5 a! i4 Z& I/ l that leave unique mark on our world
( w4 N4 P% p. o$ L8 W$ Q Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
! y( z% q7 w1 e& Q6 Q- G But because of actions.

' p7 u' ?- u4 U/ u Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
+ M; h; S  O. l) H# R( k# \- L No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 r+ K' U! r$ {! ~/ ~* P# j Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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9 ]5 N! g+ r6 c& z5 @4 J. n( w2 | And when the icy winds of death
4 E* ^, p: X7 T  G% _ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
7 H5 [1 o$ P6 L because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
0 v" t8 P7 L6 U! _ 8/18/03