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.

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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Heaven
6 \- B$ a9 ]. E& ? The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
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
Is neither understood nor appreciated
* v: O( k3 f2 m! }- u6 q5 X But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& Q. V6 @9 D' Z2 `. G( Q1 P/ K Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

2 J( H1 v( N0 c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
6 z' T3 a$ ^7 r. C$ y) ^ Spiral outwards
- w. \+ t2 S* W$ \4 A: p* k Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ v# o9 I3 }6 g$ {# Z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

. x  s1 {7 U) ` The pebble creates its worth and meaning
" v. o# f! O6 \, D- \" u8 n By unleashing its unimagined power?
; @+ m7 Z% t2 l( v Into a dueling force of action and reaction
& w* I! ^: m5 H4 l4 O2 o Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
* M* d# X+ K1 u$ l  W0 Q Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
6 j- g4 \* J! y/ O+ Y+ _ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
9 n5 _  K4 g; P' y" d8 I0 V Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  ?- x4 z+ s* a; Q Into the pond of life
$ ?" U- Z$ J! R! u# s- o Creating ripples
' W4 O/ l8 |9 K' q4 p that leave unique mark on our world
% Q$ T& N/ }, a) v! `# W Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 q* l$ Q7 d- L" V7 ~9 s. W: ` No matter how seemingly insignificant
0 `: @$ J) Y( g5 E4 X* d Changes the course of the lives
4 f0 ?9 e/ c' g+ M Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
( H0 s% h! T3 t+ y beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
. X& G+ I, o/ I because of that one pebble
. d' v% u' Y/ A( X7 Z* C3 G The world will never be the same.

3 c! \! x7 J# @( A8 ^2 ]/ `- U And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
9 a( F: u( c! X: c4 _. `/ \/ x 8/18/03