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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4 \% n9 l) ~! y9 D" l$ p! D6 D! o 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.

: h1 t  L2 o- b1 { Heaven
5 Z  {2 c) L2 K; Q# r The pebble is worn smooth
- z! P* B; H6 q, W) Y Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 k9 q3 U4 Z( {! ^ 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
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

# y. @7 ~+ ^7 N8 f2 f9 H The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 ~, `. J! J1 d4 h! P9 U! ^: c8 K6 E Its signature of concentric ripples
. Q2 d5 l* W" U2 i( c* B6 H Spiral outwards
$ E$ J, u% P! K1 H/ Q* s Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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0 \: q5 W0 |; `( f+ k The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
! c% f& a) }" D: E) S1 i/ ?# q. ] Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
5 d+ K, _/ m- y" a! c1 b- D Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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. z' X6 }- r+ y0 s3 O; T- N2 E It is true then:
$ e5 e2 S& j1 y5 F* G. F Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
3 i" Z" _. V1 \5 t that leave unique mark on our world
! j0 p) ]) t2 v; ^ Not because of thoughts
) {  {+ ~5 U3 o' l# ^8 c5 p; I not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

' R2 m5 ^! n9 \6 ~! y) ]0 b% h Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
# E0 M* j+ p  J  k No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
% p4 L9 Z) Y* b  l- W Of those we touch.?
  ^- v8 L% F  l  u9 A% _
) a* e0 n% T! P0 p And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) T& E8 j- O" K+ q8 E With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03