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.

; d) A# n7 R: j' i4 i+ o Heaven
" s9 T" G7 q! V' u The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
( l, g( d% n) r! F# u0 r3 a A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
" J! u/ X. {' F  r. C% g But just a very small stone.
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! ^' n2 K$ I# `  h+ l! Z The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
' Z, H9 {& d1 u2 d% \7 n But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 @& O7 F  ~( I! T6 b. E Its insignificance is transformed
" a" o/ _+ p4 O* H) J5 C( J Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
0 [; C/ ?9 J& m# r0 J  a Its signature of concentric ripples
9 ?+ ?. W( T/ N7 L! C Spiral outwards
/ @( O) R' x) W" n; G Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 T- |4 K% J/ t8 @+ k# ~ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
- l& g5 }1 l3 J8 G& j. ?9 ^" l Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

/ U  W; q6 K4 q( W6 o+ |6 ~* m6 |& x Aren't we all pebbles?
% F+ s& i( I1 } Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
( y0 m0 E/ Q  }7 h  ]8 x" ? That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

: y* F: b; I8 k- T, u3 { It is true then:
2 p8 o0 T$ }" A Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
$ B2 v0 Q( P: O  W0 x Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
: N' R! O* j2 t9 d' E$ J! w Not because of thoughts
+ {$ @  |( v" W not because of well meaning plans
: A1 H) B3 L1 _  h/ h: p$ @ But because of actions.

8 y; h  {" r6 r  n# n2 s Our life's prayers our answered
5 h5 h4 q" d+ L$ P0 N Because even the smallest pebble
+ }, I% c+ q: t  \ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
! s! J8 M  s% z4 _ Of those we touch.?
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* s' n6 X* R" g And when the icy winds of death
; `( u6 R5 \+ X+ o0 H% t7 ~ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
, C. _) S* }& ~* R9 K: X With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

# F; o6 ?, X: Q$ ` Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03