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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- O6 g- i: B7 v0 d 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.

  ^, A) [8 I) B0 `2 m+ `# Y Heaven
& k; O: D" O2 U. r9 d' Y/ k* u The pebble is worn smooth
( H4 ~! a; q2 Y! G5 X Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
0 e9 W) ?; r! i* x2 k A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 o* L# T5 z6 c  w- v An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
) \$ ~& Y; o  I- |! o# p, y6 ?# c" T Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
3 Q; g( g" [  z" J* s' _+ | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
; E! x: ]& s& L- R) ?1 W  | 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?
: R( W9 c+ D8 Z: A' S* W Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 g2 l  S, @7 }$ n% R8 | Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
; V( Z% n# u  k Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 ], R% u- n: M) f; t+ J2 n! ^ Into the pond of life
+ J0 J. V3 W3 ^& m4 w2 h5 R Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
2 ~5 a! C" T; p# j" g0 u# f Because even the smallest pebble
! P9 j7 m. |$ R" h3 B8 v6 s No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
4 j/ p# F2 _3 ~9 o: a0 \6 d beckon our lasting attention
7 o+ g/ l; t$ b! S4 T/ {+ z We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
' V  L' G, Y% Q 8/18/03