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.

Heaven
+ @8 i" g* u  g# @* `8 G& V/ @ The pebble is worn smooth
3 C! L& t9 z6 A& F Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 f. `) u! _4 e3 b* m An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
9 g* _; h8 [& I; j. a
7 z/ K/ c1 X5 [0 ^) e The pebble's place in our world
2 j$ b3 Y" ~0 T2 `! H8 C. W4 j Is neither understood nor appreciated
3 j: H; T9 j7 @0 O$ S But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
: H5 p. K# j! E4 ]2 ` Spiral outwards
8 N& }4 _1 p* H! B8 h1 d5 C" ]3 d Moving far beyond itself.
4 A6 ~  g- J* I# G+ K Gently affecting everything in its wake
" D7 X' p5 C/ l4 l' S& | Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
3 a$ \5 e' [7 @
  H* v8 }" [# o; u( _) ] The pebble creates its worth and meaning
8 {3 n2 F2 ~" ^* O6 g$ J By unleashing its unimagined power?
9 h) m; _! ~+ ^/ E, n: O' | Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 P& O1 N# d5 i2 B Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

  J, q2 w) I" E- l& C) O% K Aren't we all pebbles?
3 p( X% ~4 }. C4 A! `' v Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
- K- G* m, h' a8 L0 i on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
0 W4 G0 B5 e+ L8 N6 f( k4 I: F0 c) ` Our everlasting future
3 K0 p7 R# C( } Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
8 o0 {' h' d& C* `. Q Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& n! w4 l& L* M not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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% x% R* P: E3 O2 h2 F3 j) S% Z Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
: c3 z8 T" [4 Q6 r& T: ]$ P No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
+ B2 k( `( f) ]6 B We will gently leave this life
4 G  }% _" m. }" r. q: i 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
8/18/03