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.

' o0 E$ H! I- A8 Z; m' d Heaven
. M2 X' {6 r# ?- Q- l# x. D The pebble is worn smooth
! a1 x0 L' A* _1 m$ P  t* H Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' g" o7 ]9 Q$ B! X$ V: B A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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0 @1 m- s  X& Y) w, Z& k The pebble's place in our world
  X  ?: S; g8 F7 m, q  h. [ Is neither understood nor appreciated
9 c2 I' ?3 y8 C0 C  Q But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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& U. t8 @5 i5 y9 O9 q; [% L The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( M( ]+ ~+ \. L5 i2 n- _" ^1 v Its signature of concentric ripples
* _2 r9 k# t& q. v. I- w; e Spiral outwards
$ C' n7 S& x; G Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
4 Y- `9 i' u6 a: f" e6 f Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
+ k! }$ l7 ~! M% V1 l Into a dueling force of action and reaction
9 f3 G0 [" A* f6 @' c+ A Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
( O/ V! r/ p: U$ p That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
1 V1 q2 v3 b* ]  \ on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
. q2 @: N3 s; h) t% b Our everlasting future
+ @9 [+ t1 t. U4 Q, [+ X: C Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
! p7 f3 \3 F, M' ]) M! M Creating ripples
. x: X0 S- a3 ~3 y that leave unique mark on our world
) ~5 {! v4 T4 h' K6 i Not because of thoughts
* `7 Z: `0 ^4 q1 O1 v. E not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
6 G3 [1 _  |' t5 @8 _ No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
) ~$ Z1 D, K7 x5 @' M Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
, J6 |) |5 ?; r7 o3 B' t. v beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) c# W8 u& W/ \, n With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
) |; m6 Y. ]8 `) W. c+ U9 C7 |2 | The world will never be the same.
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5 ^7 E# ~* _& M( t& g  P And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03