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.

; T+ M% m" c; g" r$ K$ Q 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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: |* X" b& G: h& p Heaven
& ?% e! d9 D: ?' K4 X  g6 p0 N1 d The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
: a" Q/ A0 H( s: _  g A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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. U3 {4 v0 c- |; J& N4 Z The pebble's place in our world
; ]6 t7 I! ^% o9 }. j2 r9 b. Q Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# O; T/ |9 b% o3 x  [ Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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3 M7 p# ~8 ~! y* S- L- r The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
  ?8 H1 T1 @8 B Spiral outwards
0 O! g" [) T& |! f, t Moving far beyond itself.
: D8 h1 q7 n6 n" }& R1 Z, [ Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 I) X8 m6 Z0 Y1 Y, U Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
. [- K. K$ S) v3 C7 c* J9 Z1 M
; D9 m5 F7 n" L: Y, t* y The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
  {' P* C% v$ C Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
; O& {3 l+ b7 F Feeling small and insignificant
( \- d! E( \8 @/ q/ ]) V But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
' c) I( }& N+ o% h# Z( k# L$ t9 c% q+ q on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
3 \7 h0 J* B4 f$ K6 I Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
8 X& j7 r; N! ~8 H Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
6 p" E- u. H9 l6 \+ K( ] But because of actions.
3 I- e5 J2 @3 }; s8 o# o  r
Our life's prayers our answered
# H0 t! |% w( x! x$ b; d Because even the smallest pebble
, u- ^" y0 U( _ No matter how seemingly insignificant
; v9 I* N2 V: L Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
8 N/ J4 L5 k  x% {' W" f9 o beckon our lasting attention
0 K7 k  t' @- o5 g We will gently leave this life
8 P/ v2 y& t9 c  e5 { With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
; @/ w& x/ n$ E7 ~/ X; M' N3 d' L) n 8/18/03