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.

3 d( V; G' t3 r5 f( Q* ~+ n Heaven
9 B! W% X# n& J) |+ I The pebble is worn smooth
- a; V5 C: g5 R4 S* d Made small over time
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.

The pebble's place in our world
6 ?8 K! J4 K2 z Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 E$ N( e4 x+ e# e  d But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
) J, e' j# K4 I+ w  n+ O- q Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
" @% W8 i% |; n$ [2 j Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
' ?1 }) _; D8 |. L Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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6 W, n  U, y6 q$ I1 W Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
) m$ @1 W5 z: c But ultimately recognizing
# Y% T9 k) T7 z+ i That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
2 {  Q) G0 M, C  w$ g that leave unique mark on our world
0 d8 Q& `$ N3 e5 P& \0 n Not because of thoughts
) X9 o* b  M9 r3 U not because of well meaning plans
# g% y* N7 c0 t2 K/ j$ c But because of actions.

  q$ {8 K& Q; O, Q2 R$ S$ M6 }" Y4 U Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
+ h1 t8 c$ r% d% R# Z, \" I9 l No matter how seemingly insignificant
3 a* l/ J0 W, ^$ f Changes the course of the lives
9 f' `9 s: D# m% i Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
8 w9 r% P( c. v4 x2 i+ ^' s3 c With the knowledge that
! w7 g* h! I2 Y because of that one pebble
0 X; U/ Z# E8 e& T, K& B1 d0 W The world will never be the same.
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- F& `# K  `( W  o And then we have heaven …

9 F% x- n8 S' H% O, t- X0 P, ^; u Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03