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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- x- e5 \% Y* y  T: ~: \ 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
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
/ o% u1 t4 N3 I2 H2 Y! Y An accidental offspring of a boulder
7 F. U# W& X, |$ y But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
; h9 _) C: ]3 _: C5 M Is neither understood nor appreciated
" ~$ r4 q; s0 j But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
3 `# r0 [0 p9 P" J0 | Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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8 E1 L. W1 a! n9 G, c: ~; g The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
# t3 ^+ b# \* S6 Z3 u/ e Spiral outwards
7 J. T& d% r: ] Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 @$ [( y% y+ q- i- F( ?8 |) r+ l; b Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

* O. x/ n1 ^, d7 p+ J( \; g The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 J% t" ^0 t, E8 E7 z# i Into a dueling force of action and reaction
# `( I: Y) b$ K* N- g  S Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
8 J  ]) d% r: D$ i; u. u But ultimately recognizing
, [/ B5 [6 q' V* A1 B/ H% \ That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
5 u/ K# D, n% a( I  d9 p* Y3 { on a path into ourselves.

6 }# P2 @4 V  K& U' I5 q' \: t It is true then:
8 a$ x" ?5 m3 M- |! E Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
: M3 j2 d& |9 n  G% v3 ]% n Not because of thoughts
9 a; W8 K" [/ b" b# C0 D not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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' _  U/ E+ l- `% r4 Z Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
& B" @" c( ~6 q; r2 X4 t, s No matter how seemingly insignificant
+ ^# G9 F8 x) y Changes the course of the lives
) j) h7 T* S9 u9 s3 ~7 Z Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
4 k0 A4 L& U1 d( h beckon our lasting attention
% P* x. P& X( Z We will gently leave this life
/ P, _' {0 _6 y3 {7 c7 n With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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$ b4 N& F, w) G$ o) q And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
7 D9 L: @! ]. C) H+ q$ f 8/18/03