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.

; e4 L( C2 F  h" C+ s4 A& J2 ~ 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
# Y, I9 M! Y( |, F" T5 ?# l# ` Made small over time
& t$ W1 ]/ S: C( o7 L A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
/ D7 u# `8 b& m3 e! m* l' H An accidental offspring of a boulder
, j. P+ K7 k' W/ J- B: U2 W But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# x( H3 S) h- }8 X& ? Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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& W. M) U4 m7 T8 J9 P, x, E The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 w5 R" h9 `" x+ S6 C' C$ O+ [" F Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
( l" H& |. J$ P8 {9 ` Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
2 l% C' s- T6 a5 U5 z- N By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
, p; x6 T, q8 l Creating karmic energy
6 V. Z0 r- s; k0 N  r3 F. O Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
! [  I% z# Z8 c But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

7 d2 |6 I/ y4 V2 b% J It is true then:
- [5 C, Z7 @/ \3 U# _ Our everlasting future
/ ]' P% w2 u8 K- g6 n! o% o Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
0 I/ d0 q4 X5 p9 I Into the pond of life
4 H! _, r+ E( q2 _- } Creating ripples
$ Y+ F& _" K/ d/ Q% E& b that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
! u$ R( ^' {/ g: o not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
5 e  t5 h" z/ w# F1 e' C7 E) }
Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
( j( k: i3 {# I' Y7 X We will gently leave this life
7 \" I2 F1 I; o$ V! f8 r/ R With the knowledge that
  V# Y# a/ x4 w5 T1 }$ G because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
; b; N  l: E- V; J& n+ k) s
And then we have heaven …
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2 I1 E- H0 Y% s5 ~. ?& e' p6 g Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03