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.
# l- p% J$ L( O2 p  A7 u1 V
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
/ s4 g% y6 P3 E* K/ u Made small over time
! W2 O, o& z; I5 S9 t3 b A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
& \3 p9 N0 C% R& O5 R5 g A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 u5 T1 O6 r) j9 E An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
$ J3 R5 M8 L4 W, L6 s Its insignificance is transformed
% m  c0 j0 R/ r" Y Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
( X- X0 g% N! [* v- M" E) U Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 \2 E" k) ]! ^ 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 \. O/ _7 m) ]6 N" e# K  _ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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' K- e2 V! `2 p8 A: t' k) K& c Aren't we all pebbles?
1 _$ ]% b4 A' V/ ?; W% g' S# N. r Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
4 E4 ]3 [3 C$ o0 Z/ Y, n2 ~ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
' b( O: ~! |( t6 [0 B1 T! I& v Our everlasting future
% c5 M1 Z% e* ]) |8 w9 Z Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ J! T1 L9 n& h  e: U Into the pond of life
; j3 {" ~. ^. j Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
5 _: q) U- G, ]. K. Q Not because of thoughts
' c' a% i# H. l( s8 l) m6 f+ Z# K# w not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
5 M' F& X1 Z7 W+ S8 Q1 ^- L Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

1 }0 F! ^1 i9 u And when the icy winds of death
; x1 J- k: s' W# h beckon our lasting attention
# o( M* {: H8 m2 y( k: {1 s; Z! w We will gently leave this life
' _+ d) h7 V5 L# U With the knowledge that
1 l2 I/ _: @' b: W; p* M4 d+ l because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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7 @7 c3 e! d  V And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03