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.
5 v8 M. @' S8 p6 J; F0 c! i. N
2 t( |5 l6 @- f  W5 ~& ~4 K, ^ 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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
' `+ ?( E  T  i; @2 y) N Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
, h0 n& ?: s# ^; W) X A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 w7 C4 o' s) ?: i* d4 s An accidental offspring of a boulder
; B7 \3 y; |' M3 J, I! k But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
+ f% e8 R5 F, m Is neither understood nor appreciated
0 Q# ?" q9 z$ S0 B! R% x But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
. v7 U) V0 ^8 I- P Its insignificance is transformed
7 p# n' O- [# | Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
: P; t( ?# ?4 u Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
5 _, [6 m  q" u Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ m; E0 `- t8 ^/ t Into a dueling force of action and reaction
% j: y  w+ `$ j" k1 G( f! Q, f Creating karmic energy
6 I8 g8 d/ G1 a$ r; R" e$ n( @ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
( W+ W) }: C/ V5 \ But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
, _! C9 y. }* m" R: Y5 v+ B+ r on a path into ourselves.

: }* _+ v1 M- a: D9 `+ X# u: g% w It is true then:
* q8 x$ ~. \# V! } Our everlasting future
2 i/ p# g7 k8 f% H+ g  `" p; H Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
8 n9 |/ F! Z9 [: L not because of well meaning plans
0 a0 w6 ~: [: M7 o: q  o# ?4 V But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
9 y+ b7 S$ ?, Y( E  z+ w$ n6 Y  E7 n Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 m# N" A# b: j! ^' Z  o6 T0 R) f Changes the course of the lives
1 H/ q3 W: U) {- {, t Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
2 H- _. `. `+ K+ b5 ]7 _+ q5 ~, ^ beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
% }9 h2 u. ^0 e% P9 ]  {0 e With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

* y. \3 T" T/ M: B7 B) { Ross Rosenberg
! m! Z6 Z$ Z4 b' l; {' T$ b) J 8/18/03