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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. z' }1 g2 I6 [0 T1 _ 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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9 U5 n1 b! f5 I! H$ H0 L Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
# p8 V/ T1 P" s) { A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 D: t4 Q5 ]& n) `* n. x; \ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
  Z& Y: j4 }0 A6 K Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 Y0 b; f4 o  ~. O2 Q3 j Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 {  E0 b3 \" ]9 f( { The pebble creates its worth and meaning
$ z' l# M/ ]0 G9 F/ h# D By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
7 @4 o$ |7 s! v0 m4 ^. p2 L But ultimately recognizing
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:
& B4 Y5 O8 E% E# ~1 U6 n7 q. c* G Our everlasting future
( Q- V4 g; H4 {* G Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

* v/ j% q: t, V( H- S8 Q( h Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
: N9 J, |4 k! R Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

) Q: @. \8 j: G. G  t And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
/ {' e2 X) p, v& V9 o4 L We will gently leave this life
; S  E9 a% e! o% N2 v With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
# Y+ f; z' d* C# h0 S 8/18/03