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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* _' a  V  N# U1 A, y; u 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
  P4 S& H/ F7 h8 _9 d9 {: d The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
. |  X6 z- C- k# [+ [ A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
( G+ e5 u) g) ^- D) _  K But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
. y* l* ?  f3 u; p, } But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
# ^# S0 {2 ^1 p+ k& B% d. g* H Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
# V2 l! k6 j! y* b% X Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
1 `2 _+ T' G/ G1 e$ G; o( F6 S& q Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
0 k1 t' s. Q# w0 t, C9 v* f Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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+ M: C* @, k+ I/ b Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
( ^0 @, W% ~( |0 p Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

, |0 Q1 O0 l: ?. V  c5 U  i It is true then:
Our everlasting future
- N7 X- X  Y: ~ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ s5 S& S1 n0 _4 m9 W Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
* Z4 j8 U* X  a3 f Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
; r4 K! }! D( ^: I9 ^ But because of actions.
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' c. m) P/ A  c* ? Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
: a4 x9 `/ \& O- M  X No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
' C) C$ }5 z( f3 z1 h beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
# z4 Z  X+ {$ l& T; r1 O With the knowledge that
9 V3 D7 [- Z" S  w7 U1 P because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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& x; g7 L4 w: {2 z4 N  z And then we have heaven …
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1 N: s" ^; o- ?7 N! }0 L& D5 l( u1 f Ross Rosenberg
! ^/ p1 X' l* r 8/18/03