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.
6 f+ y- }! G. }: I& n4 d
% @2 b4 |1 D; b$ L+ B6 S' z! h9 ~ 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.
) _4 F" t! b; d* c6 s/ N
9 C2 ^! H1 w! L6 r8 T  Z Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
4 d$ G8 ~- ~+ S' g+ B3 y3 s Made small over time
5 e6 w  r! ^. d! f8 g7 ?8 _ 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
- n+ d& ^# }# e8 G/ N Is neither understood nor appreciated
6 q& `1 X3 g8 f# A* c- X But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

; k6 n& j. J- l1 e5 e The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
% X7 |, B& L; X& s' U Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
4 x! _* n+ o% S) E5 x3 U
The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
/ j3 k" c# j9 j* \% D9 F. |" P: Y Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! }5 o' c3 \7 m. w4 d7 ~ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

, m+ A: F5 _4 |! Q- U Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
  M9 P, Y: B# @) u) [9 a& e That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
( b! C- x$ Z2 L% c4 O5 ^ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
2 ]+ ]2 o( J* `5 C7 r Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
/ o: f8 Y6 @) B9 a2 x$ B9 ~3 {: j Not because of thoughts
) C0 q+ [, z5 _0 z not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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$ ^) O. l& o# v) l* S* q6 x Our life's prayers our answered
( i4 ?7 ]5 L* j2 [ Because even the smallest pebble
% e4 _  ?: q# d No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 d/ o+ E  g# d. w' ~# L Changes the course of the lives
2 ~* o  s' T3 l Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
  L$ M. ^) P. ]1 O( r beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
3 \9 [0 ~* [* } With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
4 M! H( |+ |) s6 x7 Y The world will never be the same.

& x1 G, O  R2 h1 D; H1 a% j And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03