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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$ i6 w& o9 Q& P) C2 X1 C 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.
* @% s$ g; J& M0 d+ @& B
' m1 y7 d& |5 M Heaven
7 p& q* H6 R- P" G9 m- s The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
8 N! p: a7 }' S& T5 G A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
; P: E5 w: f- Q8 k1 E An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
) V( B# z9 j# J But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 S) Q! j1 A$ O6 q7 h Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
+ s7 c) m' X7 C, C7 e Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

# M. Z! Z% P  t The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
8 m0 I. B! y1 G1 d5 l" d 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?
" V7 d8 ~6 H* m# t Feeling small and insignificant
) N% T1 p9 l, E% I But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
$ \# Y5 @; d1 |! Y, D' h Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

3 A  D+ H% d( h It is true then:
: g! N# U$ o; _6 ?- L  I, s Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 B4 ?9 t2 H" I8 W  z* f6 N& u9 m7 z Into the pond of life
% x& V9 L: U2 m( R7 g Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
. ?- A) H8 r0 b" v8 C: I) g8 g But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
. I9 {( _+ S& E/ Z) b Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
, w9 t1 A/ `2 i6 _. t; C We will gently leave this life
' J3 X: n0 q& b! i, S$ `2 Y With the knowledge that
7 S/ |. S, X. n7 q5 E* u9 t because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

# e% b' h2 v* L! w3 w And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03