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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& q& ^4 S, D. {5 C7 c+ m1 Z+ b7 Y. D- @ 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.
9 K$ y: b( I7 ?2 V& b& ?
9 D- r" m4 @" ?, } Heaven
3 I! w2 e: l4 A: R9 l* G6 o The pebble is worn smooth
: n( u, O' Z7 |7 e) Y+ D/ `, j* Q Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
5 k) f2 P2 }  { An accidental offspring of a boulder
4 G9 `8 o. }* x5 i7 \ But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
! F6 c7 _% v7 a5 o) x+ R- h5 W/ w Is neither understood nor appreciated
/ B! k* U& m, q% f. R( ^; P% T But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
, t# Q1 y2 ~7 A8 r0 q) F# c( |8 V! f Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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! s$ m6 O" h" S0 l The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
6 r9 m, e( Q, h, ^* k4 n Moving far beyond itself.
0 M, k5 A' u0 C* u# S* K Gently affecting everything in its wake
$ Z8 ^. z9 c: `3 r* M3 } Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

. j: P. q7 y+ u2 Y6 K The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
! p! K4 _; M4 ?6 a5 P Into a dueling force of action and reaction
3 t5 f& c, M) |# s6 \ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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7 I2 S/ y  |4 U& x1 ?+ b Aren't we all pebbles?
8 j6 K% n8 C, `$ w  i Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
2 V" C: P) t1 N3 M; _ That who we are meant to be
' p# V6 D2 ~6 D Can never be measured in isolation
3 R- h0 s$ T3 V( J. s+ G on a path into ourselves.
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4 v  a1 ~' K* l; i1 O" h3 x4 Y5 l 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
3 d1 Z# f3 G9 W; @2 n& n8 Q1 a& v Not because of thoughts
1 p6 z0 C5 o8 P# ? not because of well meaning plans
" x0 z' j8 A7 N* k, {, ~5 g But because of actions.
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) U. b, Z: ^/ @( x/ L Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
: B# S/ t5 I4 R: A# z No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

* p( n1 q. S3 S! j, i% X; O3 |$ d And when the icy winds of death
0 D2 T9 F) Q+ l beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
8 T2 ]/ i8 u/ T& d The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
% G( ~" t2 v! Z! F4 o, j+ H3 s 8/18/03