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.

- B/ h9 Z4 A5 s- r8 O: T, Q+ U 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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- N& Q+ d' k+ b& u- K Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 ?1 X& N4 }, H: K, I' [4 V. W A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
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
+ U) G  x5 m& b 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
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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/ R$ T. t; r4 Y/ N$ P The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
. r, l3 N( |6 ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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3 w8 B3 T' P, Y! S9 I) L7 |* w Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 i4 Q  v5 z: D Can never be measured in isolation
8 y0 T: b, n" L0 o* @. ? on a path into ourselves.
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- G2 G( @6 Z+ Z7 @4 t It is true then:
; C% X8 A: y; H: }/ j  P0 V6 | Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 I- T  C0 t$ Y: z# D3 x Into the pond of life
( `$ i7 G0 }8 s2 o Creating ripples
3 F5 g% [2 X8 \# E. u, S that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
; h: s( o  X( U( }2 a& G3 @3 a not because of well meaning plans
/ u' M" V( S5 v9 W& c: a But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
! c. f$ c4 o4 a7 k3 Z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
, O  z$ B: K' G. Q  Y* v Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
' r  g" Y( C* Y3 d; q( | With the knowledge that
, D1 r8 Q8 D7 P because of that one pebble
2 }9 ]- G7 E: ~" k$ T The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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, }  n9 x! Z* @ Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03