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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; z  W$ K1 B# W Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
1 u7 E* `0 l2 C Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
" k" {2 f% K! k- b% a An accidental offspring of a boulder
% K) l, e3 h& A) w But just a very small stone.
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0 W; c' j7 f# U+ H% G  v5 y The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
) _8 a, A( Z6 _5 e; R Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
1 ?& y( R' }, ]( b/ p Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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" g9 H8 R( j3 [4 L The pebble creates its worth and meaning
; p4 \# x  i3 {0 B& B By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 L. u5 u2 z6 j7 l! A1 O! t Into a dueling force of action and reaction
8 e4 c/ n4 W& E" @ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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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.
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- E0 }4 a  E. i0 I( Y; `/ P It is true then:
Our everlasting future
) p# h/ {3 ~: }9 l0 w/ B6 }% n Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
  m0 h, i4 @. u Creating ripples
* [; |% N1 w5 H2 Y+ q' o that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
: u! G7 |8 [3 M, h3 |* B not because of well meaning plans
8 ?3 e  k: h7 v But because of actions.
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' [3 H" K- ?4 M$ _! ~  l; |# E& T Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
  g2 V& D9 ~. ^& H: f* E2 s! B0 K Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

+ ~! q7 I* T  R2 A" { And when the icy winds of death
' c, T' X4 _. D0 P( [* ^ beckon our lasting attention
1 J% ^- H/ G( z' b( i We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
% B# j5 }0 o. C9 v; {! G* C because of that one pebble
3 T/ s0 |, Y  S& o The world will never be the same.
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4 W0 j" c" O+ o* g/ Y' G3 B And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
( t( |# {! p! L1 j 8/18/03