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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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
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
) v% N* T) T* |& l A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
! Q. r6 @* D- D) R& G% D A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 j% a# P. V, I/ u" l An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
1 a4 q' W$ l* j5 Z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

4 F9 i9 B& y( \: @- i: x4 ~ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
! g9 ^# y* A% z0 ` Spiral outwards
2 a9 J7 Q6 C( O- N) e% u7 o Moving far beyond itself.
" g0 I* }/ |; e/ J3 P6 V7 q5 [+ Y. e Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
# s4 R# ]5 z* Y& M8 g" S. t. f By unleashing its unimagined power?
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?
  S# g& O0 ~8 S5 m# l; _! ]5 R Feeling small and insignificant
" z1 n, e8 {; Q4 E" A7 _& H But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
9 o) I8 A: i9 r& t2 N Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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1 m; H% t6 i5 n4 l2 | It is true then:
4 S( Y' }# F: r/ Q- e; u2 Z4 W Our everlasting future
3 C2 q4 L6 E4 K6 |( T Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
4 N' W$ n4 p/ y+ V" T3 z. z Into the pond of life
# Z! M. |" E) B6 B/ F/ W Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
7 `$ L- P8 h0 H# S- h' @  c
Our life's prayers our answered
# |; }# q5 D. B' M: t9 n Because even the smallest pebble
/ _( @2 G$ i4 b0 ?! n0 D! i1 ` No matter how seemingly insignificant
# F6 _2 W' ~0 y. _8 X Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

7 p! S$ ~" ~/ y4 C1 B( q7 I' H* i And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# I4 b* s- z5 t9 ~" {* [' v We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
2 \  T" a$ j0 N, T because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

+ F5 I( m  d1 c4 ^; u And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
5 M2 H# W% f: H. O 8/18/03