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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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5 w3 n4 ?' }* r$ S! w) T 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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Heaven1 x' Z* J/ I! L
The pebble is worn smooth + L6 w6 m5 B2 ~1 |4 c' I3 [: X
Made small over time' J$ j0 o: i, y: H
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 u9 [. @' s+ P1 l% \ A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock1 ? n/ C# n4 |. ~& [! y+ S
An accidental offspring of a boulder
* P- U; n3 J9 ?$ g7 c2 Y+ |5 H But just a very small stone.
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- _2 j1 k4 m7 X, ` The pebble's place in our world
8 {; }: \' a& g4 g( r$ ? Is neither understood nor appreciated
1 s- B9 y( l$ q- ] But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
0 b$ S- ?5 ^9 V Its insignificance is transformed3 R* L& b. t* f( z$ R' t- l# Q) ]
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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2 \) ]9 S$ Z; ?! ]/ `- r" m4 N* { The instant the pebble kisses the pond
: ? T$ @/ J, n" E Its signature of concentric ripples
! B4 l. J) s+ K0 r$ @ Spiral outwards
- I9 t# `# q2 h- h6 d5 a6 `* Z4 [ Moving far beyond itself.. h5 r3 X& \6 \% L Q
Gently affecting everything in its wake
# k4 n/ _+ d1 g2 h; L9 M/ I Forever altering the smooth placid surface.9 S% c& t" v, O/ L( _4 f# L
" h4 i& J9 E% S. k2 {
The pebble creates its worth and meaning 6 Q+ z, I3 _; d Z( y
By unleashing its unimagined power?
5 A5 b/ e. N3 C Into a dueling force of action and reaction
: c9 r8 O8 O4 \5 V" i Creating karmic energy- q, b- A' l7 A' _- ]# s3 F
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
0 g! G+ \; t, F& ], d Feeling small and insignificant
4 D+ x7 v, K ?( N" i% A But ultimately recognizing
/ Y# ~; c4 {; B/ y! Z1 m9 ] That who we are meant to be
4 O8 J6 @! \: y8 u Can never be measured in isolation4 q h$ P" b, n; v
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:) I* u+ s. E5 T! Z5 u# d
Our everlasting future 1 d" Y; X9 T. w$ T1 a5 p) Y
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles% {( O2 o$ n' x! X
Into the pond of life0 W: Z8 i) H9 Y3 S9 @3 d
Creating ripples
- c+ O; x" F- | that leave unique mark on our world % @, @( ?/ Q. t
Not because of thoughts
, o( o/ e+ O& ?. ] not because of well meaning plans* p; I9 c" M) t+ O7 u
But because of actions. ; p8 s: U* U0 D
& k) W5 J; r- K! U! h8 R0 N Our life's prayers our answered% ~7 V7 K( `! p" c5 u; h
Because even the smallest pebble
# I7 G, h* a2 v+ m) W% L No matter how seemingly insignificant
' Y K/ w9 v: A/ e7 z8 p8 g; C Changes the course of the lives& S; @7 |" V' e( i2 v- r' l! y
Of those we touch.? 3 F, W! H }% ~0 p
% i* f/ R, s1 U- b3 q And when the icy winds of death6 G( i: e- r& L4 T+ `
beckon our lasting attention/ L, p% T: i* Q( r
We will gently leave this life & l. M; ~! F) V% G
With the knowledge that : c. j) q( m0 T- A t# z% M2 z
because of that one pebble $ c$ H( V# ~$ k" e
The world will never be the same.: I6 ^, _( y7 i' w4 Z
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg8 o& c) S( s+ h2 I: O
8/18/03 |
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发表于 2010-3-12 06:36
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