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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- S$ w; U9 w& |0 l 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.

. }6 J( @8 j: A9 Y) V2 A9 ?  r Heaven
7 n8 X% G- J  w3 V; Q6 J0 L* b2 G The pebble is worn smooth
' J# N  O9 l! ~ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 R: y# S! f! R5 W$ W% M An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 V+ `3 L9 x" E& N But just a very small stone.
0 o' \( u: C. F) ~: m2 v$ @$ d2 H
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 F! p% D2 k2 g! ?6 E3 C But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
; q$ _  x5 L% m Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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6 k/ B/ Q- e: ^7 ^9 R The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ D# k7 Q! z1 D7 y& k7 p5 l Moving far beyond itself.
. C* _$ ~' p( ]/ g: ^3 l8 G" M Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
2 ~: p! |& a. d' }8 j4 b1 e/ T8 c Into a dueling force of action and reaction
2 ~4 g# l% f* I9 M5 G Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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& }" l& f' ^  t Aren't we all pebbles?
' Q/ B- I2 c, l+ I  ]5 B$ i0 M Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
) k! `) ?& o" L+ f  D1 c' Q on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
1 `6 A, Q4 D3 d/ B Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 g8 }; j- E0 t4 e Into the pond of life
6 w# g& W8 c# `& t8 e9 m Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 ~. @8 L& e% j& e; M3 W* {8 o Not because of thoughts
( |5 w4 T1 v; j' v not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
  ?+ c$ {- b. X1 r9 z# f! ~, h Changes the course of the lives
% ^( T5 ^9 e4 q3 `' l Of those we touch.?
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/ V: z! m& p. t) h6 q And when the icy winds of death
" f/ D* E# J) |$ [, H! ? beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
$ Y9 r3 u. n+ z. j  R With the knowledge that
+ y5 k( a! h  w  }$ B9 W( B because of that one pebble
6 S- H7 q( c" l& u0 c$ P4 J- X The world will never be the same.
) y; u# M+ z/ |+ ~& g% r8 J( D
0 k4 c5 [, f1 P0 @: @2 t9 S& o& v And then we have heaven …
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: _5 z( W, i" B3 g1 I$ O: a# A Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03