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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3 r# M1 z$ p% x1 b/ Y% ] 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.
2 |8 }  H3 y% O9 ?. }
Heaven
+ c% T  v+ B' J( H The pebble is worn smooth
9 d# k5 \- c* h! T& r9 }4 m, l3 d Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 V+ `& b: o/ X$ ^: N A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
) J$ X# w- T$ [% A* x% ~2 p An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 r, R, X6 T2 P& Y; P6 T9 W But just a very small stone.

- }9 W  L* e# a8 c# X3 `1 ]  e The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 d1 Q' v' ]5 V; D But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

$ J0 P. U/ a' t) A7 Z  w- Q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
8 X4 m* {3 B  n) ~3 R Spiral outwards
. W" o* s. v- a: ~: f Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ X' x' ?; \# P8 Y1 z$ t0 b) D By unleashing its unimagined power?
% J1 F: \/ x/ x Into a dueling force of action and reaction
% |) C9 Y( p  O; y% n& o4 n; G Creating karmic energy
$ m* N+ f6 _" [( b. Y Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
' p3 }2 Y. h' K$ a7 e, D+ w% r% J That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
* B& P; H" |8 S! ]& O7 } Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
5 C$ h5 U+ W" ~( N; d: k) U. i Creating ripples
( `2 ]+ a! e" l% E that leave unique mark on our world
6 v( D2 s* b& ~, a) T Not because of thoughts
" m. y. E* j1 [- d) C0 W not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

* }2 S1 r* V2 @' R* G Our life's prayers our answered
+ f( D7 `& u+ R1 ~# { Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
6 @- A. s6 Z, K Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
3 J" Z& e( @, y' O beckon our lasting attention
/ ]/ ?0 [7 `- l0 z6 g 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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6 [. E8 w1 @- \! I: B And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03