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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! D5 a/ P& W+ B" f' H5 A5 `" n% R0 ^ 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.

Heaven
3 v; Z- S2 _1 ~! o0 @ The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
. c0 B+ D: a' l* g3 P8 | A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
# e: `' q( [) }6 p- E* H) h But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
' P' B' }" i/ w% }; B  S* r Is neither understood nor appreciated
& e; t& K% L+ r( c, O But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
) {( D8 n- \3 N5 o' o+ i Its insignificance is transformed
% }* P* _" }) K5 f7 ?6 ~ Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
5 T- i* ?1 U- g! `9 t: u7 m Spiral outwards
8 H- l: T8 b' v Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

" I1 @( P4 z, L9 D: d+ a! W$ Y The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 N- G1 f+ D# x8 a* p By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
: |% F8 J0 s* k" \6 U Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

& a, }# |8 U$ G$ G& s( k Aren't we all pebbles?
5 q! I. ?6 F! j( V Feeling small and insignificant
# Y% Y2 {$ p+ v: y- u+ f But ultimately recognizing
5 F% P+ a2 e( z5 n- N( r That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
! `' G) ]& O  H% K on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
  b8 f  ^; f& [! a+ k5 g9 ] Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 J- |  f$ w( s& a Into the pond of life
4 F3 Y9 \$ j  _* a5 M8 i2 r  w7 a; s Creating ripples
' Y5 L+ M( d; C( j9 T4 Q that leave unique mark on our world
$ l4 f4 Y+ ~" R9 N$ |7 m Not because of thoughts
! [) J* w* m& Y0 {# O6 {) z+ P not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

6 t$ i2 F4 c. B: Y6 A# | Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
' D3 y( M4 o' w/ `/ P4 ` Of those we touch.?

% S  S1 u/ L- Y9 X$ W! B* ? And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
1 }. s5 u: B6 N: K# X We will gently leave this life
0 t& ^. E7 r/ N0 u) R" R+ G- W With the knowledge that
! E# n, v3 n, V0 ^8 i3 R* I1 A/ l because of that one pebble
4 L/ B$ Y, ]" k The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
2 B( l* w& b% |# N 8/18/03