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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; w3 |# x: `3 \! Y7 j# [ 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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* F/ a* n8 l  G  T6 U( o6 G Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
( {2 s4 `3 X1 K5 h+ Z! J Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
8 x+ L1 D$ H4 L. S% a9 m' g An accidental offspring of a boulder
1 t; b8 I: d7 `% E But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
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
. }" L+ A0 M# H Spiral outwards
5 B3 Y: {0 V  W% d4 [ 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
By unleashing its unimagined power?
. V. P3 ^  O! ^ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
. M* r" }) M+ X7 u Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
) t& v1 H  N* C% z  J: T on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
$ F/ G) p" g7 o2 N* Q9 o Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
. ~  U: N! r7 o& p) L8 h1 }$ d Creating ripples
- X6 e. d) u8 T% S that leave unique mark on our world
# U: [  c8 t0 V$ l* J. } Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
% Z% S/ e$ I- k6 {! n; c2 \% v, [ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
/ b3 L- m& Q6 ^6 ?4 }) e- p beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
3 M' |7 P- @5 B With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
: N. d3 M6 y9 V, f" [ The world will never be the same.
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8 y9 q- R, S6 w+ s And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
. r1 }2 M$ |8 H1 _ 8/18/03