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.

' g! o! f! s0 P Heaven
8 y  g5 J5 Y  H( t9 v1 { The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
0 U7 L& |8 D  ^4 I/ P! F! C A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
9 b' F, N" \$ I  J But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
/ l( Y/ L6 Q" G$ A6 Y2 w( G4 A, z Its insignificance is transformed
1 Z" [0 ^$ s% g8 h" [: e Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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9 S' N, l! X- o- N0 x The instant the pebble kisses the pond
- A0 Q3 }( h' P( a7 h* m+ h3 S Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
: T: A9 B& a5 a, U6 S Moving far beyond itself.
" G( R" @% {) X- h: R2 j3 @ Gently affecting everything in its wake
6 F0 o; |; ]0 j, v, s$ s Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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) D, A% f; m+ Y9 m The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  p! w) Y7 G+ l Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
$ I8 H2 h# p; |6 P+ |! j Feeling small and insignificant
$ Y+ h8 Q/ B8 m7 h) Z4 b$ R But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
3 V& N: x) O6 y# f' `: H5 S9 s on a path into ourselves.

4 u: |6 n0 U1 g4 D* x5 m, C0 c It is true then:
Our everlasting future
8 K2 `" F( j. o Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ i% V2 ~. _( |$ q Into the pond of life
" a" D/ j. k4 G: ?+ w7 L5 ?% ? Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
; N  c7 s* l" E: q7 Z% u( R( v Not because of thoughts
5 H4 f; ^9 C3 }6 _3 V not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
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Of those we touch.?

! N5 W4 a/ X: @! o7 Z And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
  ^: D; |* o4 h0 E0 l' k. ? We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
3 _6 r- @# d" a$ @$ @ because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

$ _) E. V. K9 H! x3 @ And then we have heaven …
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  u2 j: O9 Z/ F# u, N Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03