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.

' B0 S2 ?7 H1 h% P 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+ Q5 A: D, Q& |' P Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
" q$ I2 P2 J) F- q" m+ C; q A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
7 ^# o$ B) q" U7 j9 f, O A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
, ~  b' g2 l% M) R! l/ o An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ P7 ~8 N3 v: Y2 s" X+ \( E! P But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
# `- }; u( N% G! D2 U0 x" G- w Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 V0 R$ q; F/ W But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 O% H; A: q  p  n Its insignificance is transformed
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.
  T# L  P7 x3 w4 V( T; @ Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
0 m# @/ D/ \8 U0 B& v9 Z" Q7 c By unleashing its unimagined power?
; D+ C* v0 }. L, S" P% O9 b Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
, c" U" I* ~2 ? 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
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
1 a5 U) D( E, J Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
% g* D  P6 ^- y$ R" p9 H Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
# K) y9 P% k! S/ t  o/ {7 X& | that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& b5 c6 C& x( A. _, n5 a not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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6 H. g; L4 c6 {  H( f. G2 }) z Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
2 v: W0 Z  K4 P/ V No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
( `; q; }" [6 A3 x$ c9 S Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
) K. b0 F/ ?" M5 q/ l, z- C2 d We will gently leave this life
4 x$ w7 B& ?* C' ?9 g! N% { With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

1 z0 g5 j9 y8 [2 R1 e0 m0 ~' g And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03