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.

7 l2 y2 i- G9 t) b Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
5 y; N1 [4 G  O A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
5 f' }  e, @9 z7 |, c# C+ @ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 {# I, q% |- ]" f" ] An accidental offspring of a boulder
: Z5 ]( J1 c  e2 s But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
& g# v0 }* c6 b3 i9 |- p* O Is neither understood nor appreciated
: f+ [" D- R, | But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
  u" Q: w# \1 u$ r( I Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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5 i! T7 ^) i  m9 a. R The instant the pebble kisses the pond
2 r4 x. O, n+ b$ |/ I Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
- P8 `) `9 e+ i+ S4 n" B; F. L Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 _9 d" j( U" F  {5 Z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
  O+ B0 e6 k2 s  }, I Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
& `+ P4 t) @. T' W3 l Feeling small and insignificant
  S; B3 d+ i0 H' R8 _ But ultimately recognizing
9 Z7 O% H9 V- {6 [* c That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
7 O5 H/ y: }7 K/ X% v7 P3 u+ P9 c on a path into ourselves.

- f6 m. w( O6 ^1 O  S4 l It is true then:
Our everlasting future
7 o5 u/ U5 F' j! W$ L Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
5 T8 ?( H7 Q2 o& b Not because of thoughts
, [) |, D) C. H% [' `# A not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
# j; N4 J% ]1 b! V" K No matter how seemingly insignificant
- y% I( ^0 z/ R5 w6 T8 X Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
9 d8 ]4 z. |$ a( x; H) _, V* G We will gently leave this life
7 @! d. e9 I" g  o4 {1 m With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
9 X' O0 h, n5 J& ]% k: I The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
# n3 Z; P  a0 [* p8 j 8/18/03