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
5 x- K1 I! U9 P) L6 v/ Y; m A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
& J: U9 X% V  S4 P# a: U( P/ @ An accidental offspring of a boulder
: t+ S) J1 ^, X$ f( a But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
( Z( W7 q6 x. E Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
+ T, z6 x' R# ~$ Q. d4 L" B" X Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

. x. Y" U0 d+ o2 d0 B, x& [2 V The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( c. z% a8 j5 O8 o+ e Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 x& I- b" `, [5 ?) }2 M Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

' {  Z* h( P; X The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
  D; L4 N) m2 k+ Q1 C6 W Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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8 f, @" `( F$ s' X7 ^* Y6 ?; q% H Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  H' o' L! U$ b; b4 s( b) s That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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2 P' ]! V: z+ ?# L$ \4 R9 T It is true then:
0 K4 P1 _0 y: S. D Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
3 E- c1 X& h) c; k: q7 l6 H1 S Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

7 Q3 n" ^2 G# R Our life's prayers our answered
" @' J  P: ~7 Q  K: q$ h" @ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
$ b7 H1 x* s" Z3 I2 v: Z) T Of those we touch.?

/ E* Z4 s4 V, s8 B9 E" E+ L And when the icy winds of death
0 ]3 T( z7 U7 C4 F( f% ]3 C( H beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
. g% O$ b) N6 \4 p because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
  M5 Y) {5 \, Y7 `5 p5 |# l 8/18/03