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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# U2 n* P$ Z" t! P: P 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.

6 m+ u8 E5 T; r Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
7 F) K4 t8 ]+ n1 K5 F" n A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
% S. U4 S- k3 _4 \, N- l- U: {. l! L: k But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
8 i" l: ^7 G6 W+ t; x& v Is neither understood nor appreciated
: X( W9 Q/ d5 v4 h8 F But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
2 C- y3 R* G' m Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
& H; t( D& ?# `% w. q Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
: [7 U$ d0 |+ ^ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
/ ?' `2 R0 s4 Y# q# k, Q By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
: p# b: b/ J7 R1 k7 ^% H9 @. x That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
- _9 ~8 {3 t+ _9 T1 Z* M Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
. P9 _% m( T$ K" |3 Z. [: l% \ 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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$ [- x4 u6 @+ o- t: x" }9 D Our life's prayers our answered
7 E4 D; s* i) y: B1 y$ C Because even the smallest pebble
9 L- p3 L3 `, |/ \  H) c; v No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 u, b) M! w7 R* N Changes the course of the lives
+ p, K7 M7 q! F: B- ~ Of those we touch.?
6 }+ Y6 U5 k( B6 \. v4 K6 D
And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
5 c9 \! v6 P$ u+ j2 I  w because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

7 v9 Y$ `2 r, a  f% f# w And then we have heaven …

0 S9 g0 E% C. A+ ^  u Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03