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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9 W: |' l  D( F1 w, [; E 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.

Heaven
( [  {4 c1 c$ g3 t. J The pebble is worn smooth
) t) D  V$ J7 p2 I) ^- H+ h 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
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
( j! T5 l6 N8 h, v9 R Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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" Z8 f; y6 t- K  y4 h1 ~( m! [5 G* l( Q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
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
" X3 I$ Q* }% t2 M: v& E+ V: E By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
# J8 d( ?# G1 m6 G0 t' J2 O Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
1 U2 i7 \* I2 @: I Can never be measured in isolation
, G/ v- f! ?; ?$ t, I3 T on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
2 C" P3 w" m5 l9 S* C0 J* u: c Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
1 S: Y, s% L9 I Into the pond of life
' i" L' K6 W) I$ u# l. [ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
( _+ L$ K0 T# f" ^9 ?3 z; o$ O7 a$ f Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
* z" ^# ~$ F! x/ Q+ s5 Q But because of actions.
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7 I" C, ?  ^3 r4 a Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
8 M: c' ?$ }  b Changes the course of the lives
1 k4 R# N& V; S; v) Y6 h5 a( @ Of those we touch.?
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  S/ o& x4 C" D$ I' K- q* r! p And when the icy winds of death
' O/ s8 K! q: E) e2 C. p* B! G beckon our lasting attention
4 G( _# ]! W$ B4 K* A+ B We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
1 s1 e6 H5 g* x& b3 W' c& x because of that one pebble
7 \1 e' T3 }( z  Y4 A. W5 E The world will never be the same.

2 s' _( H6 i, w: g! w And then we have heaven …
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7 c6 S/ g3 P- g% W- W Ross Rosenberg
+ R0 t. I: L- g" V 8/18/03