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.

9 s. K5 ^/ l: F% K 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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' a. F+ u6 a8 Q$ \2 B; }( ^ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
7 O: M' ^9 B) M1 N' n. X A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
' B* {. H, s% Y" t! N' {7 Z! p6 X But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
* k; T  g' ?0 |  h But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
+ v$ F* Z- m- [' `6 l: V% E Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
/ g; m) s; U( q% f Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 X' z, h% D* A- U$ O! M Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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1 q1 W  k  b8 ~) R; _ The pebble creates its worth and meaning
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?
7 j# [* r  y( L0 t& @" D4 J Feeling small and insignificant
' x5 m$ B2 m8 k( g But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
$ l9 {  {7 Q7 ]4 w+ ~# K Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
- x  r/ m8 I* Z* y Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
% N5 Z$ m2 g8 W5 ^ not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

- Z* F7 P3 Z" C Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
8 E% K+ i1 t) L+ l% Z beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
9 v% l+ u2 l  ?( J+ @8 [( p- B With the knowledge that
  g4 {1 a$ Q7 i4 h6 C9 F3 R* E because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

' t  E- H. X, c$ n" R, ] Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03