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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. / P2 U" Y2 B7 P$ @7 w: J- V
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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/ y O2 x5 q; s! i6 @- D0 d
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: V7 B% H7 n! c$ P w. V
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock2 Y0 e2 r, [; i5 M$ p
An accidental offspring of a boulder
" k. Z3 E$ U6 v6 ` A, K But just a very small stone. # a( p% ]. @1 z# c7 H6 l0 I% @
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The pebble's place in our world 3 l6 w+ ~, Y& ]2 u" V
Is neither understood nor appreciated+ c7 @2 `& I8 {9 i2 {
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 c- k4 M& V7 s Its insignificance is transformed1 X* ^( `! V* c6 |# r! Y. a M
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.6 ~0 Q& g: U* `0 z2 h x) E5 ]4 S
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ s: L2 d" k1 t6 c Its signature of concentric ripples ) G) I5 ]: E. t Z5 K0 n7 n
Spiral outwards
6 y3 k; [0 \2 v* H4 m& [& d1 O Moving far beyond itself.! x( Y, @" E. L
Gently affecting everything in its wake$ R8 S3 A; U) l/ [9 ~
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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( 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? 6 R/ b% D% n3 l1 D$ j* t2 E& ?1 I+ N
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ C8 }. B" d T; H Creating karmic energy3 S' _; ]9 L: m- \" l
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.% U7 C/ ^) Z9 v1 d) ]
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Aren't we all pebbles?
/ l v/ ]3 u: }# P; ^9 u+ D Feeling small and insignificant
( S ]7 |% y+ { But ultimately recognizing , X# s6 t. L5 e7 S% t0 P
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.5 { q9 ]5 C8 [
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It is true then:
+ ]2 r8 H4 z- \" d+ e& K* k Our everlasting future $ s% b; v4 b4 J8 v [* H
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ [* n7 y2 U s0 X3 U Into the pond of life9 @3 s7 Z r* W8 B {/ L
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 5 v7 T3 a8 z2 F* Q/ o- L5 j1 S
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.?
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And when the icy winds of death
5 U% ~ O( X8 b, u beckon our lasting attention: V3 f1 J3 b( j: k6 @# T6 s% s
We will gently leave this life / N; F9 z. ]: d$ H/ I
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 …$ w8 t$ j6 h2 f9 O. W2 Y' j
2 C- G# ~2 J! ~+ f Ross Rosenberg7 C4 s+ L+ g6 @
8/18/03 |
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