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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1 ~7 w% j* Y$ _8 S$ O 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.
, S7 k0 |- ~$ C4 b6 S
Heaven
/ Z5 P& p- a" {/ E+ b  T3 H6 u The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
; [. h* ^- I# I) D" f0 a* v A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' R$ z4 s1 U$ N8 k7 F& C) m: x! [ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 x. T7 o! u, D) z! Q( e# A An accidental offspring of a boulder
' A+ C. C% G: e( x8 L+ r/ A3 r; L But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
! J6 a2 f; z, j- [0 z: X2 q Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ c, i9 N& _# m But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
8 r# ~: F) x# R( }6 m$ V: P Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
) J1 A8 _) K# `* R4 k9 Q9 e& U Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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3 j; e/ h3 k. s* f/ ~0 } The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
& W" p- m/ f- g+ ? Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 d$ [! U2 O6 \ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

0 R: d/ z9 v4 w- X! H Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
+ l: Y! ?1 X2 x# n1 O) v4 M Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

7 C* R" z: h/ a1 U It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
) V* ?+ [1 N0 e& N6 M Into the pond of life
1 l6 C* h, ?. m% Z Creating ripples
- m: T0 x* m/ J  k9 }1 @- F that leave unique mark on our world
# A6 ~2 w, c! r& u" l( p Not because of thoughts
4 p( g0 v% b3 \  q- ^/ R not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

) l$ c* d. O" i# B2 K8 n Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
$ T/ x% i' Q) l Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
# z+ t7 E# S) {3 U6 ?$ h beckon our lasting attention
+ s9 B7 ~( s) z( F' ]# V4 h We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
6 @# X3 t1 W& M- z7 R The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

% [3 E+ O5 ]+ l1 ^* L3 o Ross Rosenberg
% a7 Y' A1 [  Q& X0 I9 w 8/18/03