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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) P! S! _* M: w+ U2 h" @% a' t7 o 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.

1 f% \# m5 m- X8 R0 k8 {* ]. t Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
' g4 I+ e- m; U$ v+ U7 T 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.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
" ?0 g& x9 Q2 Y Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

2 y  ]5 y8 e/ t! e* o5 X% T The instant the pebble kisses the pond
) o# t: X$ O* p  D+ i, ^6 H2 m Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
* q* {% U" l# R" {6 b0 W Gently affecting everything in its wake
* w' L, w( q+ p, m$ d4 @ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
7 Z5 }( U& j+ q' p# | By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
. e8 u# g1 G- ~ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
, G: J0 ~% T' r Our everlasting future
6 j  D9 s- p& ~0 D Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
/ f/ ?7 t9 [- A* O7 Q Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
3 N% \! i  u% G0 y% }4 [4 t0 n But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
" c5 a! j0 q# t* V- j- O No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
% R( e5 E* u* F: ~% `5 y+ c+ n  A Of those we touch.?

4 x7 X7 `$ N  }- L And when the icy winds of death
3 h# ?1 g/ o2 |1 |. P+ o6 u beckon our lasting attention
; M1 k) G. `% x! \1 K3 }$ F# r We will gently leave this life
% Q4 U( @( a; n% r3 o6 X With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
, D! D( [, K2 D( }2 H The world will never be the same.

: U" c! t0 g5 Z3 H6 d. K" A And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03