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.

) y( ~; S( Q: ^* W7 R 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
/ {8 i/ @! [  x7 e- _" I! B6 B( u+ D Made small over time
' o5 Q& O4 \  S6 q A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
: c8 A/ C6 U8 O3 v9 y' c2 [9 x& m A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
6 ^9 n$ S( O# [6 v( X9 V- _4 x" [4 l 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
6 [& I0 j6 g; _. |: W6 H: y Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
7 z8 A: T7 O/ T% a& \ Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
4 @* W4 U$ q# [$ M0 @* } Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) ]) y2 m0 W+ e5 Z1 M Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
, S  n: @* i7 {) o( C; q Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
+ q. j2 y+ C6 L" }  Y1 J; }9 [ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
  ?, e4 h7 i/ _8 W" M1 C on a path into ourselves.
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, p1 R6 U6 j* P% M. X It is true then:
; s$ a. _, z+ Y9 K0 e Our everlasting future
9 ~! p: N5 T* p* F Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
- J+ u3 }2 A+ g0 q4 U Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
7 j5 d6 b0 I6 @8 g3 T! n- f1 z1 Y+ n But because of actions.
8 k8 f7 q: G6 R) T9 B! D
: D8 U/ c* m6 ^8 Y0 d: J4 g1 C Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
! d/ l2 X( D8 l! I# k! M Of those we touch.?

' n/ `9 a/ N  K+ l5 ^) h And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
  |( y9 @2 n- [, G, d' I With the knowledge that
) F. u% Q4 n+ {3 C 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