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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6 C/ w, l, E% O- B- T 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
: `9 @6 S  G& Z! M Made small over time
  Y/ w: L% x4 i) e: U$ o; A% W6 n A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
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
; t9 N6 E! R5 L# t But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
9 u7 r9 M& Y3 Y4 j+ o; h7 ~ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
$ ?! l; f( \6 x$ G9 f* A Moving far beyond itself.
* ^# x3 z' W' ~( k8 y4 U Gently affecting everything in its wake
, b% ~4 x; _; I# H. n- K3 q Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
4 |' z7 C$ o+ p. N9 H! Q* a" k By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
1 w3 I) }1 l9 a! N, s" O Creating karmic energy
& J+ J9 D0 l* K- K Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
* i0 {* k6 R" g5 l  _ Feeling small and insignificant
! }3 @1 D4 {' \! E2 P5 m- H But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
3 `6 U$ q- ]* A4 H Can never be measured in isolation
6 r! z- Z: ~. s* V1 g on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
6 B! }) Z! ^3 v# P% A Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
0 x$ V1 \( x/ }/ s7 ?' I! R Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# a5 H& s/ u; e& ]4 o0 a; d Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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" o0 X, z" h, m( ?5 w+ c5 m- D- m Our life's prayers our answered
$ L5 L9 r$ D( C) K. [' Q8 d Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
$ i6 B. K; U3 S Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
; v5 V0 B/ z# c: } beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
- n6 o6 R. \3 C) p' U6 H5 b With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03