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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; d" p! i, c  |# K8 O5 J 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
6 ~. L& D2 n; }1 ?% C% x The pebble is worn smooth
* m2 I4 ?4 b' K# `# p$ w1 \- t Made small over time
" W% w! C$ y) ~3 t7 F2 e0 g8 K8 n A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
' z% w6 j/ c9 j1 A) U# e Is neither understood nor appreciated
5 p' W+ ~; t7 }' x But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 C4 ?* u4 l' y! h# N' Z  ] 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.
/ J5 n3 j0 W% s/ s& T, h Gently affecting everything in its wake
: c. V: W- ?! R9 f4 G Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
* Q# Y# }4 |5 G  Z, n6 s! Z Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- y9 a4 q4 E0 z" u Creating karmic energy
% I* A5 J* P, a3 ?' f: U6 m& q& j 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.

7 i- s8 j! ?8 L5 |0 V+ H  _; l5 R It is true then:
Our everlasting future
- a& A1 E0 Q4 z# D6 M# O% g( X Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ d: j) y. {* p( O Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
/ Z* ^$ @" ~7 m: p5 I that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

# a- b8 f. ]: E: V2 s Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
% ~# Z+ D' T/ d) f. {9 H No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

& _% S  V( K$ ~% ? And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
+ g! w6 A0 Q# p& k( q; N With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
. a" }' e  P8 G9 I- K4 ^% ?& w The world will never be the same.
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) q1 T+ r3 G0 x# }: l& A And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03