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.
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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
! y% Z  S0 K! P' a A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
% `. g5 ]9 P( i6 R, C/ E A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
& o# {( q  P! u% ^' @ But just a very small stone.
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5 t, b6 V' E  R The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
  `, |. ^4 C1 C6 _. R But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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7 B+ s  R1 {6 f  K0 b/ M+ w/ ^5 Z The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# A  w) Q4 Q* I- L Its signature of concentric ripples
6 D- k; Q( n; a/ j Spiral outwards
+ w7 M9 V6 ?. ?3 o! j6 y Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

3 N! q9 P5 `# \1 ] The pebble creates its worth and meaning
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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# G  T0 R  e( ]; ], C Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
$ E6 W6 j5 M  e! n That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
* d; N0 ]$ p9 B  u$ v- M! [ on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
8 S* y2 X+ p( m) B3 T" B Our everlasting future
% N/ N8 y3 X0 r4 t Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ L" v" Q. F* ]& S- y. l  S Into the pond of life
* M; ~; u: N/ m1 m1 m9 p; J Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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7 h8 `: V% A6 v, R2 R* T( y Our life's prayers our answered
0 n3 P- h5 c; Y. {; x( ] Because even the smallest pebble
) E, e1 e8 _; _/ K7 u No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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) w: H, H) A/ }' K; ~8 ?/ p And when the icy winds of death
) ~2 }( a. U' C' e. v$ A beckon our lasting attention
8 }. G$ F8 a0 f$ S, z8 ~' W 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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1 c! P9 S& p4 e# T And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
4 `4 z1 {* V$ ^' {, _" r/ F 8/18/03