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.

) R5 [- B8 _4 u# ~4 \ Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
# h* k7 U' u8 [7 c- i Made small over time
; e8 S, ^+ A5 R6 O+ J& J$ _: r( ^ 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
" `' i& V# [0 C; |9 ~" B* L But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
' a6 I2 \7 _5 V Its insignificance is transformed
- A; U3 O  m6 Z' q5 J; y$ K# n' v Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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% O( C8 W6 y* P# n9 Y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
+ _) i7 P9 u( d8 W+ P Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
5 |0 @  q2 m! ~* i Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
- K* J* j% ]1 n Into a dueling force of action and reaction
$ Q8 `4 m5 n, s( I& y2 C+ m$ m Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
, Y  O  B4 L9 m: Q  V Feeling small and insignificant
! b- o( m2 S6 ^% E" G  r. O 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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. W+ m: R' W, ^" E It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
( x. B4 z$ H* ?' d# I/ L Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
: t: `2 t) \, s, I! Z But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
7 v5 r( r2 ?: R0 E$ B Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
! M6 H/ e* p2 B3 S6 x Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
4 n2 g+ a' W3 s$ f: |  e" B beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
* \5 f) T( z  ^. v" N1 k With the knowledge that
: g( T% E" O3 R+ _( h: Z# o0 q because of that one pebble
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