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
8 N+ u) J1 K- P: K 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
/ i2 `# V: W& X; [1 _$ r$ J9 x But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
* @$ [$ C/ M# g  Z: e* E# ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
9 r/ y4 N6 z' ~- |. k+ f2 [6 c Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
9 J; N7 y) Z3 m2 K) T! d
9 D6 |% {- h1 t6 c The instant the pebble kisses the pond
! d3 e& P, U& F Its signature of concentric ripples
6 c" n: g% D1 x) a  u Spiral outwards
6 ~, j6 ~' T  A0 F! ` Moving far beyond itself.
2 C3 Q% n* X, I7 w Gently affecting everything in its wake
. Q$ Y1 z3 ]8 l" h* W Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
& z5 |+ l# C* [0 m2 e! _8 u By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
4 a' o' V0 {! o# }2 c& a# L% Q' o  `2 @ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
9 M6 i/ k! `. Z* A, h5 O( _) w Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
2 Z) l! c& W# e: e) f Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
: K& e2 B: L! j7 V Not because of thoughts
# g" T3 ^- j" \$ H6 L0 {% q not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- d% t: f6 H# L! `. p No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
. N7 p9 @+ T, O; a$ m* j* U Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
  w9 E2 Z- }4 b3 \ beckon our lasting attention
  S$ J+ L) L; K# u# n7 v1 H We will gently leave this life
6 l9 P2 D/ {2 `, z2 q7 j. o With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
# |' _+ `: C" p# ^- w% x The world will never be the same.
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, E2 Q5 u4 @  X3 V And then we have heaven …
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7 o& F+ h% ?- H0 [+ b" {& O Ross Rosenberg
$ L3 A5 l0 h& x# f. K 8/18/03