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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, c' x/ Q7 p: I2 G# A8 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.
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+ V# H6 K  {& Z7 u0 O: H  D Heaven
! s/ \6 T$ e% Z( F/ `  | The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
1 t& i4 M8 ]3 | A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 [1 u% Y* g% _8 k An accidental offspring of a boulder
. h; Q# k+ s' k- @; l9 @ But just a very small stone.
4 G& G/ v) O0 J! N+ X. e
The pebble's place in our world
# l6 }4 M0 n' O. C Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
9 V$ b7 j! e8 Q$ S: x( d2 j4 Z+ X Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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0 k3 ~$ E# ~4 Q$ R0 t0 L4 ^- q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
$ R6 l; [7 }7 z& m. u( r& d Gently affecting everything in its wake
3 W' _3 J/ P8 K5 ?0 H4 y Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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9 ~! `7 N! C+ k9 O4 J2 O: O The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
( A# s" S0 _7 ?# C7 Y Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
& U' ~  Z. z: w But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
+ t" r! |+ c0 k1 Q* }/ z on a path into ourselves.

# v$ R9 e3 ~8 U It is true then:
! K3 I- Z. m0 |; s9 \4 J+ k# b5 T Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ N8 f# n9 \4 _1 t; j7 n Into the pond of life
3 \) x8 D5 f  U* a- E* u  ^ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

( T9 T: [. j4 s9 g. l; o  _* a Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
# @$ Q& j" _* Z# D3 C1 S0 S Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
; S4 u/ R4 }' G3 A$ p9 d We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
/ N  q% V& @# v2 k because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

( A. r+ Y9 {+ j$ y And then we have heaven …

% A8 a4 L8 W/ u4 _" i/ h. [+ g Ross Rosenberg
' v8 z  J+ q7 i8 d" s: a  D4 X9 F 8/18/03