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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6 u6 N: i+ ?: u/ A5 u; r% j0 E 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.
  |' X" Z, h/ C0 z% ?- ^
Heaven
1 l; o  s  U5 |6 g% t The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
: V% `7 n# T1 v, w  V A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 S: d7 R2 a# \ An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ i! e) G1 c9 m- E4 D. H5 a8 v But just a very small stone.

0 f+ e3 j9 X/ G6 g2 V The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 M1 f: w) d1 }8 n But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
" ]9 i) U& v8 u9 Z0 K0 n Its insignificance is transformed
) y  l( j! U" ?" D! Q2 `  m Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
) f1 ?, {- o" [ Its signature of concentric ripples
8 {- c+ _# z  T Spiral outwards
; d1 U% Y+ u! e9 z Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
) X1 A  F+ `% m. ~ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 H. q+ w0 T, Q1 Y Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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) J5 X0 \( A5 R4 y& Y; S Aren't we all pebbles?
. @8 o& V4 \* X5 V; N$ a Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
% I+ i. h- @' s, D# x; u2 C9 G) x) q" o on a path into ourselves.
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$ V) r8 f4 r' k It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
* Z9 U- L7 P& ~  |2 Z% Z. ] Not because of thoughts
  G9 |) ]  A2 q/ R not because of well meaning plans
1 {1 U6 ]% Z) ] But because of actions.

/ q9 i( y+ h$ P1 T, d Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

+ T: H2 j- A' u+ \5 l' F And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
6 u8 _2 |+ N8 _& B* S% O, k We will gently leave this life
4 N8 m3 H. p! e With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03