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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' e5 B1 T' w8 ^, b A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
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
) D6 s- a0 ]: n. p6 P Its insignificance is transformed
2 F: G6 P3 h) ?0 R& w Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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& {# p  B) z. N6 ^1 D" h. J( g5 z The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
+ [  Z" c  t2 _- c" f: M( M! s: x$ ^ Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
9 y' X9 x; x% H, N- Z  L Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

, a$ ~3 {: W; c! Y2 d The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 S% S0 r/ [, ~' d- M- ` Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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7 r- w% m+ Z8 B7 i Aren't we all pebbles?
- T1 G/ ~# O5 g0 w  k) ~ Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
+ v" B5 _  r; P' G5 ^ Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
  d9 x6 d/ _6 C9 } Our everlasting future
7 k/ e1 r& J5 r2 q Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ F2 E6 i5 P7 r9 n* R7 p4 K6 G3 x Into the pond of life
% S9 U* y2 q/ k: N/ Z5 V: N Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
9 k4 v  Z) D) N Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
5 z. ?$ R1 J: r" z2 F7 ]- P/ ~ But because of actions.
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% L7 R" q- u' i Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
# D3 J# t) O0 H: x4 \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
/ c& @$ \2 r2 w$ K beckon our lasting attention
$ Q. ~8 @" F# F, L We will gently leave this life
/ i4 Y" P+ T- ^' i) P With the knowledge that
/ z0 y+ L+ {9 P$ y! I8 v- f2 g because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03