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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1 T0 l/ t  ~/ u* L9 V, k  `% h Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
; O* A/ r/ M* a1 t% a- l3 D6 b( P A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
  [: R' b" R) l/ z9 L A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 z) |/ X2 j4 U, n$ K But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
* Y* \5 B  m5 l( p) ~+ ]" W2 _* @ Its insignificance is transformed
9 D0 ], u' K9 Q+ w7 P* `; x Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

/ q7 {  G' }' K$ H4 I( W The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
. I. f$ E( U; x; _* P5 z; R9 X Moving far beyond itself.
# n& A1 ~+ z/ o: C) o9 W, T0 Q0 i Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 I+ o3 h! c3 M/ P; r Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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5 D5 [& h& H& @& b0 X* P0 | The pebble creates its worth and meaning
0 d* R$ t8 C$ ~: t By unleashing its unimagined power?
& c5 V3 V7 o2 P2 [ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
4 \; D9 J( G  u1 F Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
- C  W" V3 S" J That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

7 ]2 t8 L( U6 _1 z1 b! [, [ It is true then:
; j! Z8 j$ v" }: {1 A0 X3 R6 n* I Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
7 F* V1 s- u" Q& U Creating ripples
7 a; L0 p, J' _6 T% Z3 n! k- c that leave unique mark on our world
) q7 M! p) o$ T+ Y* o Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 ^7 O$ h) f& k$ z4 z0 z But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
4 b8 x- W0 Q9 D% u9 g& y8 C Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
0 ?% v5 |6 W2 X+ j Of those we touch.?

8 k6 D8 F2 x( w2 Y And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
0 c, u4 r. E# r$ n+ P We will gently leave this life
) y  L0 R0 T" l( a  L With the knowledge that
1 T$ }  }; b4 I2 h because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03