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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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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& h- P% U* T6 i3 y Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
" t/ G, I. Z+ l7 T Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
( [. t( [9 b; E  \' q An accidental offspring of a boulder
; B$ c! H. f, N1 ~( H. L But just a very small stone.
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) t* L" Y9 C$ \$ ~ The pebble's place in our world
* d) B/ \& D# X7 P Is neither understood nor appreciated
( F3 J- P' O+ i7 h) j+ B1 v. X But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
* z# d! \! W* o9 l! `8 a% M& c6 ~! Z  p Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 O% O" l: z2 a) [, s4 m. z Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
! N! p. H3 r  V By unleashing its unimagined power?
' ?7 O' m' [# Q  B Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 M" v8 `$ C- r& Q6 a Creating karmic energy
; T% K3 i# q: N! V  p Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
9 |" q  x3 V! I) u. |( f% g) k But ultimately recognizing
4 ]& m2 [' j( V1 {2 m That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
& Z1 _7 J! U8 {5 C Our everlasting future
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
5 K, q$ L8 r6 S7 [. i not because of well meaning plans
; S- H- o; O- `5 Z) W2 q; Y But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
7 K+ h, o/ x# G' _8 L* E/ M No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
, B# k; L. P" T! K$ d. n. d" ~ Of those we touch.?
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/ z- |1 a) {3 B6 o; A7 D And when the icy winds of death
  @5 G  D$ Q) l3 R/ o/ A beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
: O' I% \* u: B: A4 U; B% z3 q With the knowledge that
, Q8 A% ?; c6 C2 |3 D because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

" D/ O# \1 S  d" T  J Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03