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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% v3 o8 c- x/ g. V  U. {2 w 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.

3 E9 u! o. I+ d" f3 B' n Heaven
0 K7 q6 S$ m+ D6 F7 R. v* ?( Z' a. Z The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
3 l' H+ c6 b$ V$ I! H A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
0 x1 b9 i+ u; e$ v0 ]2 _4 { An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

, R9 F8 X9 \' b+ }/ r+ n- P The pebble's place in our world
7 u; y7 b+ u( ^9 W2 s% ] Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- j- V- e  g3 j6 W6 O Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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) i7 c& v& O; Y( S5 l2 } The instant the pebble kisses the pond
; n& D1 t  B6 O3 } Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
8 Q# D3 c9 u* c9 ` Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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* m! r, `+ S4 f0 |, y8 S! s$ S The pebble creates its worth and meaning
9 J5 O: H6 q! ~: `& x By unleashing its unimagined power?
1 A3 M. J* u: g( Q. y, ~ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
! a+ D0 E- Y6 J, A* x Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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5 N; G+ [" q$ P2 N% G( E) {& O" I Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
1 t. U7 j* I! z5 ~( Y But ultimately recognizing
# G8 ?8 x5 V, h9 E6 T+ R! @& o That who we are meant to be
, u5 [/ E, K1 C+ l( | Can never be measured in isolation
8 Q' e8 s7 d! M$ j6 {1 P on a path into ourselves.

2 l: |/ {# `* d1 ] It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
$ @; w7 l" i8 {' d8 F' e/ g Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
+ e2 {5 y7 ]) T; V# q/ m But because of actions.
( T) p5 d' S3 `1 f
( R  Y1 L! Q. Q Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
- H# C" O' o# D6 K8 _4 L: I! a, S" A No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
1 t4 r5 }6 c7 T1 h8 ~! }8 b Of those we touch.?

' w* F# ^* B( C5 v And when the icy winds of death
+ n' D" a6 l& T( t! X2 L3 r0 E/ e beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
% n& A: B0 c0 C9 ^9 X: t9 E8 Y With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
( c- e4 h( U" R The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

6 o5 Q+ Z+ c: C" v" P* `% p; p Ross Rosenberg
$ w, ^, \, c9 A7 ~2 J8 l0 }5 l7 d 8/18/03