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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% T7 O! y, {4 O+ ]7 u. l 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.

- b/ F1 r8 t/ M8 v Heaven
( l5 E( q) L- \$ [- H' n  I The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
3 X$ ]+ [" ]3 F) p2 }7 R A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. p0 D$ z# d) d" p! v A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
' T$ m; h" A- N0 M An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
" S- c/ @5 e2 g But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
( i; K  K+ W0 F% I Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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. K2 }. e0 T+ a4 M9 u* H The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

6 G7 S0 @% Z2 a. p  _4 f+ O The pebble creates its worth and meaning
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
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
% H! q8 k7 J' r3 ~0 \1 g' t on a path into ourselves.
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  x. `5 ^, H9 V" x- {- E$ O% C It is true then:
7 s: p+ K: g) l( j/ T4 f9 r' H- z Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
  q! ~4 [) L( c' E' U+ H" A Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
1 z  M9 J! y6 h3 R& v that leave unique mark on our world
  n3 e( E6 c% C; [# t: L0 x1 Q Not because of thoughts
: x' {# d- e' J/ f not because of well meaning plans
, {1 v. c8 ~0 F& E  l' } But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
; v0 l9 Z8 d+ d8 F0 d Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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" B; I# v" b3 i! D* x) b! E  c  K And when the icy winds of death
7 `9 h; K' C) T7 S$ _# Z" H beckon our lasting attention
5 \4 s3 s1 {6 d& G8 K# @7 ~  m We will gently leave this life
( h4 |, c7 q* g! @# @5 s3 m With the knowledge that
* u$ v! j9 c1 Q, m' l5 R! b6 G9 D" ~ because of that one pebble
. f- U" m# A2 V* N$ p) n The world will never be the same.
. V4 l. H$ N5 n3 P8 \
$ i9 u( |9 r) w1 M And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
# {4 K( T" r# N& a" m8 Q 8/18/03