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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. R  n2 o3 Y5 F3 ` 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
The pebble is worn smooth
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
! Q; h) t! c' z0 B9 \ But just a very small stone.
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7 G; ~* _& l% l4 { The pebble's place in our world
' N# s2 p7 }6 | Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
2 q9 D5 q+ K8 g# W, S1 I" D. L Its insignificance is transformed
8 x  L5 ^: }% g2 l4 m Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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5 i5 c3 K2 X+ v4 w/ e( ^8 k* m/ q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
9 J' [- }2 U5 e4 Y" Q$ e Spiral outwards
# k2 t- g& x7 K" j! }/ e, D$ {1 j Moving far beyond itself.
! f( K8 a3 B+ [1 J- M Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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9 v4 N: X' |0 C3 a) u8 N The pebble creates its worth and meaning
+ H7 z( O5 E( h1 j By unleashing its unimagined power?
* a# Y8 [+ L* ^# b+ @- P3 v Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
+ [4 `% l2 z* c. v1 s9 E2 s0 c( A0 q Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
! L& \$ u, e) p* d9 s1 L% C Feeling small and insignificant
8 z' h$ f! d& f; v' F But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
: H  C$ Q; D7 M on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
% |, ]) Q  T; H8 o; @ Our everlasting future
6 H3 p' t2 z8 D6 E2 w1 s- e5 H Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
5 i9 o& M! M0 a2 ^5 z Creating ripples
. ?6 M3 X# d0 t% c0 ]  Z that leave unique mark on our world
6 |' t! K1 N0 p$ T3 ^ Not because of thoughts
/ j! J; R6 K/ o8 }2 q8 [' y. j not because of well meaning plans
( p1 M6 Y! `+ J, Q% e2 B( y! ] But because of actions.

; S. P5 l  p. p# j6 | Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
; S* p/ v- }( A) r' ]4 o9 _3 W9 N No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
. f1 {# C' V4 U# M0 H9 @) B4 p Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
" `# Q9 |) e9 ~- h. O+ v beckon our lasting attention
- n6 W9 V( r$ t0 q; o  n- U% c" J& E We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
# G- @' i  f/ [; y+ c+ p( _ because of that one pebble
) @6 J/ c( E8 _, g: u: e/ J1 Y The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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. a6 u$ ^( w$ Z' N* q Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03