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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6 E8 D# ~$ q0 O 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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. A$ v& r! m+ {+ S6 F$ @7 Y Heaven
2 S. T. R6 ~, H/ P! M0 t6 [- ] The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, V# ~" [" u* I& k# D, f A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
- H  j3 b& H5 `. |8 g An accidental offspring of a boulder
! Y2 Q" A! m8 v6 u3 e$ U5 ?; r But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
+ f3 @" k( o2 u; e But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
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
, S( _7 m9 {2 R. {# q% p Spiral outwards
; g1 X3 `# M" b, b" h. U% Z Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

" I% \1 ~* u7 w7 C% C' K" V9 u The pebble creates its worth and meaning
, W0 S1 x6 N5 Z/ L0 z/ D By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
, {1 m  r6 X3 e5 Z4 B- q Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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* r* k) l, x- _( l6 n' S" s Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
* y; Q% f1 ^2 h; e8 }# v( v But ultimately recognizing
/ {% A4 `; j8 H4 h- f' e9 F& \* V) u: n That who we are meant to be
2 S0 w- t$ Q0 w7 Y% B Can never be measured in isolation
" q( |1 w9 _3 @* c& M on a path into ourselves.
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$ {; Q% `  W1 j+ r% T It is true then:
3 l2 {. o6 }- r Our everlasting future
9 b! q& i5 T8 q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
3 _& F4 H# D% b, o Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
! U8 M2 l0 V" w& h7 j6 q3 e Not because of thoughts
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
, k/ f6 h7 O: G9 Y Changes the course of the lives
3 J( G6 C) z' S" M% S Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
( x$ A) G- t, K; x: d3 q beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03