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
Made small over time
/ n/ B/ J, k! W  S5 W- v# U A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, E6 T5 ^) ]# B. K! c( C. b) ? A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 O3 S; y5 y# z An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

4 Z. _9 z! Y2 a3 j" q. L9 V1 F1 Z The pebble's place in our world
% o- |' N* b9 }8 v5 v Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 X- K% r$ U2 I6 _! I But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
! S- `1 `- R6 }1 M% r& Q, _- E( `( \9 J
! @- @$ l/ E  z1 v- Y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
& E9 q$ c7 l6 s/ f; @ Its signature of concentric ripples
9 ~( L* I* L6 B Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
9 ]2 _) |) w: a! O Gently affecting everything in its wake
! l: \2 |- W, d, F8 T" W1 ~: p) t% V Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
5 y) F9 _7 u" l7 f: g. K' H- l By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' o- d, Q7 a/ I- i5 Q  n% L6 E Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

$ i: y" K: q& u* c0 X Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
' @) ^! v6 {1 C. [, o) w+ @ 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:
4 B+ m4 M7 O8 n+ o7 p& X Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
* R7 N8 D; C! x: U- `4 a, @0 p. L Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
3 u9 p4 q/ C' V Not because of thoughts
9 B  i6 @( ^4 H+ Q/ J9 n not because of well meaning plans
) j  o, g8 \+ P6 U& L$ p But because of actions.

3 M- r7 Q! r. @9 t  i* ] Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
9 r# K. |4 {# k1 S) {2 D Of those we touch.?
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; O! S; |+ [. E% O9 u- I0 h0 A' K And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
" X1 F. J) Q: W& n5 m We will gently leave this life
3 r2 z( ?& ]. K' b With the knowledge that
' s& T# f! S5 k* t  | because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

+ I7 @. r$ G" `7 z& D) t* U. x  N* C And then we have heaven …
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7 S; V3 j4 D6 d/ b: h6 o Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03