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.

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.
5 U$ B/ w2 V; c2 M% w7 ~5 K
Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
5 I2 y4 P( {; |$ J A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; O# c8 _' |0 z6 R0 @) ]  ~ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
% C4 e! ^& t" H8 j+ V Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 a  U! d& ?* B* o6 p- g But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
2 p8 O# B" J6 A Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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; t$ S' F) T% @0 O The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
+ F7 B! V0 k$ s; c3 e Moving far beyond itself.
$ h9 \% k: H  G Gently affecting everything in its wake
+ T' u0 ]3 x: ?  Q5 t5 z Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 r6 Q6 K; I# b- r- S The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: I7 h/ ^' `5 ? By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
  z% [. n0 U1 @/ \3 g% x7 | Can never be measured in isolation
( T- q$ `) u$ f, \1 ?) B2 n3 L on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
( O% a3 c5 y3 C" ~8 l that leave unique mark on our world
" a" y( |! A; M Not because of thoughts
7 K* C5 y6 J, D$ f. ~1 `0 `# C/ m not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
. }3 E" B- ^; [, N No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
1 U% F* Q6 G1 F1 j$ l Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
! @1 x7 P3 U$ C7 ]/ C1 | We will gently leave this life
: h7 {# w' h6 d* b0 s" w With the knowledge that
. f7 [8 S8 X* ^ because of that one pebble
/ M! X* r1 R' x* C4 O* [: r The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

# ]  ]/ u/ A/ k5 x4 b- j, e+ s Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03