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.

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
7 o) h& {. ~  Y. U Made small over time
! ?5 }1 R1 s8 ^3 I; m- d A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
" k. Z3 E$ U6 v6 `  A, K But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 c- k4 M& V7 s Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ s: L2 d" k1 t6 c Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
6 y3 k; [0 \2 v* H4 m& [& d1 O Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
2 A1 B, V! w) |: @
( i) l" n1 \4 J6 {- z The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: P; k# c* b: h; l$ N By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ C8 }. B" d  T; H Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
/ l  v/ ]3 u: }# P; ^9 u+ D Feeling small and insignificant
( S  ]7 |% y+ { But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
6 Z/ R1 h4 G3 i1 P" O Can never be measured in isolation
5 `' m  B4 Y0 R4 P! q+ D9 i9 K6 T/ p( S on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
+ ]2 r8 H4 z- \" d+ e& K* k Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ [* n7 y2 U  s0 X3 U Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
' |+ a8 t7 w" G! O8 g that leave unique mark on our world
$ }: I% @2 W* `0 \! x3 q+ Y% f Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
% ~, Q  n7 {# f/ F But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
' P( L8 k5 H8 o8 Q; I8 r* b  K5 T Because even the smallest pebble
1 I7 C$ @0 d5 ^7 n: f8 ?  e No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ p0 h# M: y! V* D  ?+ ~ Changes the course of the lives
' b3 j- J% _* Y1 W- y+ b. t Of those we touch.?
8 l- ^5 u5 K# l3 ~5 O4 o9 Q
And when the icy winds of death
5 U% ~  O( X8 b, u beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
, ?  S2 u; H7 i7 p3 D because of that one pebble
! R% R( x; k" z The world will never be the same.
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+ d3 C, v' {& J And then we have heaven …

2 C- G# ~2 J! ~+ f Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03