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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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.

! g& k7 C* ^8 X0 z+ [ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
4 v1 P$ g) R) L0 }* Q" _8 T Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
% e, h7 w/ \  D" U5 w 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
' G8 j7 x0 M1 @/ {) ] Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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# v8 R+ y6 l: B  a" t The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

- T  \, t$ M. z( a. A& f& H9 N The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
2 ?+ u/ @. z5 J7 v7 w 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:
  t0 c1 F2 t+ D/ l" u$ h4 ` Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
, ^, X/ j2 R) J2 w1 V Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
2 _8 i* }& h; X5 R that leave unique mark on our world
, P! G; t7 s$ T8 G4 b Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
3 J; O, C3 V& e! P- S No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 @0 p6 \5 F& ~+ f1 q Changes the course of the lives
, h; Z6 C0 r- y- ^/ f$ |+ r' O Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
9 P' U- D8 {6 h8 G# ~) }/ J beckon our lasting attention
3 @  a* W  k, W" U2 ]& q( U' z We will gently leave this life
3 i. L# V1 L/ k. n' s6 l With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
; Z  d. F) e2 ?# A# ?9 e( M3 g The world will never be the same.

; T8 E5 v- j! Z3 m7 x5 @3 e And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03