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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
, a' {6 x" O5 f Made small over time
" @$ B6 u; A, ^: w  }. R5 I A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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7 U! g: Q( U; N/ T0 \ The pebble's place in our world
( R7 ^$ r$ h$ ^+ f Is neither understood nor appreciated
' o+ O1 S6 e( M But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
' d" M/ |* U3 s4 K& q- r3 J Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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  U* t" t& j3 b- s4 y2 ~ The instant the pebble kisses the pond
7 h% f8 `0 v! } Its signature of concentric ripples
% ?9 i9 \& p/ [& C/ i* _9 w Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
3 `1 e+ S9 i( s: T8 @( C Into a dueling force of action and reaction
5 ~0 ^, f/ |% M! Z: U Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
  R- q* {! u4 A But ultimately recognizing
' Z2 |. e/ F: R That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
$ D: V$ p& |+ K& }2 k: t on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
6 G0 ^( Y9 O8 x# Q: k3 S/ z! K Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
! b, \- C5 F( i Into the pond of life
0 L; u9 g4 _- b2 P2 V; R Creating ripples
4 K; V  S# `5 {; Q$ N% h! P' B/ @  g that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

4 P/ j* B0 M) ]! A  K. l6 t Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
6 N0 l+ L  V" p- Z) c Changes the course of the lives
- i/ \" q/ n% G2 i8 S& q Of those we touch.?

/ S3 [5 T" h1 ~, ]1 n And when the icy winds of death
8 n* w0 I6 |8 l# U$ Q5 | beckon our lasting attention
7 @4 E8 W/ \; G( O3 }6 M We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
2 i9 Q( @# F# r3 _/ B1 L  l5 Z because of that one pebble
; _( ^9 v$ [7 L The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03