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
  p5 B0 P3 i/ ~+ {* C4 O" t0 i Made small over time
; a1 H9 Z$ |4 y  m0 G A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 D2 d' W% J$ e4 a, z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
" Q! b2 k6 r* @! H; H! V8 R An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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6 k) K* ?* a4 L! Y6 Z- h* v 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.

$ ?) g/ v( G. h* i& b; n The instant the pebble kisses the pond
$ W) t" C" n# C$ @7 K3 u Its signature of concentric ripples
. ?' |6 u6 ~) @' V, N Spiral outwards
7 s2 M, \! n& }7 L+ u% d+ Z, H Moving far beyond itself.
5 E/ r3 B% T, N- O  { Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
7 G2 _0 t  K* X5 n& t# C+ I Into a dueling force of action and reaction
6 x( d" p; P0 ~+ I7 H Creating karmic energy
9 A; E+ U8 |& f" e! \3 p Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
; r) O9 d2 H6 G7 W Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
9 y, [7 e1 ^0 Y, \- Z6 A3 u Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ `2 S. v7 o  b$ p- B Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
4 N+ S) e& }( l! M* c# q5 E$ z# i9 Z But because of actions.

2 m" [6 Y. ~; W* O( _* K' w Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
' k( M9 v: O; H: a' \- N Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
+ H7 |+ \0 \4 q  o8 T3 c' G The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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3 S& A+ {! b+ W5 P Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03