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.

, D. ]! A) t5 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.
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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
7 r9 D- w0 D1 _& X9 v Made small over time
: e- c! C. `/ a  y: \0 X A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 }+ b8 [( m3 ]7 J3 g1 m A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; z! k6 {! j# C3 W( W4 ? An accidental offspring of a boulder
3 x( |8 f; K( M; F- B/ ]7 e2 B But just a very small stone.
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: ^) g8 X5 E/ O1 M; O The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
# p* R! h  y: g3 g/ w( \1 _$ G6 | But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& ~( L; a- t- a+ J$ L Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
, v: Y) R1 I9 G5 E) l Moving far beyond itself.
. M; `8 ^: Z2 \3 J% z/ }1 W! Z Gently affecting everything in its wake
, c" m' u4 s) ~. A! l  J1 | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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/ _. ]& J, |# U3 z& A The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
+ b- J* z% Z9 R7 B6 w Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
# v8 g. d. ~" v& _( i! F$ m That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

6 G7 S' ]% P* x! D+ G It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
( E9 w* y3 S" h, D6 m$ r, V Into the pond of life
3 e- K( l0 Q4 D# @4 j" X Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
* w4 ~; W8 ~0 C8 s$ O* F3 h Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
8 C7 M+ [+ F2 U7 `1 I But because of actions.
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4 `# Q8 l) c0 B# }/ ~/ [ Our life's prayers our answered
, ^& e* J5 J  Z Because even the smallest pebble
4 s) o- g, c8 D2 O, N No matter how seemingly insignificant
7 c+ y$ K6 c# z; ?$ R; U7 \ Changes the course of the lives
7 m- a* A, S9 S5 N8 u& O4 |! |5 @ Of those we touch.?

7 L  b# L) M& h7 l3 X* {. l; H And when the icy winds of death
) E& h4 v1 Z8 |0 P+ [1 M beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
$ r1 L; M! b! s9 z The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03