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.

3 @+ S, k, f% A; _ 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
4 X8 B0 f/ A* i Made small over time
) U. t0 W( J0 \/ X, a* a A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( ^0 R  ]# N2 F$ m An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 c5 a% |! B6 T! E) X9 Z But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
  t2 n; v) B; [1 b6 d5 C* T Is neither understood nor appreciated
! |. I2 P0 }, C$ Y" z But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# B, l& l& {) C Its insignificance is transformed
8 Y9 ^/ ?! r- H6 X& K Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
; w1 Z$ w. E1 m Spiral outwards
, K8 N1 r. q* Z4 ` Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! |7 |# Y, @8 z2 Z9 z  T By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
" |6 Z8 t( f/ A6 b0 W" l Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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! ~7 N- `5 S. m) q: V Aren't we all pebbles?
  F; Y2 U9 _. k Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  O4 q+ Q* {. ]' X" {+ ~ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
4 y8 g9 B! g4 M$ n' S2 f; g1 F( p2 [1 ? Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
8 z- Z) Y7 `" ?) S4 J! L1 F5 Q that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
# G, Q1 @; w5 f not because of well meaning plans
1 G6 p( t1 E: P8 c5 X But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
* x3 K9 N1 T+ T/ I; h! Y* U+ L Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
6 I+ u% c7 Z& R8 p, H5 P) K, L1 w beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
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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: P( _- R% i8 V$ f* r5 {: g4 m Ross Rosenberg
, W4 Y' O& g9 u* @2 @5 S% ]( w 8/18/03