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.
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6 V8 s+ b6 [( b* ]$ Y Heaven
; h  O; P; A$ J. E The pebble is worn smooth
. C( H# p; ]# l Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
. E$ J7 @4 J3 n; [8 k/ e A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

9 w* N2 R; S* O5 H$ i The pebble's place in our world
0 y4 n' {: U" X$ e8 A% L; c Is neither understood nor appreciated
* [; z. @: Y' h But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 ^7 F* y2 i8 ?. Q, `  s Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
8 i+ i- ^' r4 X% P  E" ?- g
The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
1 P1 K+ |) W) g5 X* h5 p& n( W: ^, Z Spiral outwards
# v5 }0 v( Y1 k( q Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 w2 u) A* {, e$ L Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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* \  s: E/ L* ^( }! b* C, g3 s The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
, S1 z- s# S% f0 X+ g Into a dueling force of action and reaction
& ?) Q0 y9 S" J( X  s9 a9 _; Z. Q Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

0 ^( y: Y7 V! `7 g+ } Aren't we all pebbles?
* J2 y! {0 b+ i5 O) f6 O  I Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
( t) o! M' l6 q+ i That who we are meant to be
$ @" o3 K- N) _) A  B: n Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

6 O" `0 ]% J; D. d) E' t' R, E- A It is true then:
& x# H. y; }1 P+ U Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
" ?$ C+ U* G* s; z& m3 W Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
0 B. a& ~# j0 H3 n not because of well meaning plans
) p; u. \8 P: d5 \, @$ y But because of actions.

! u+ O1 p+ d1 `. T Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
8 R+ g$ C9 K/ x& L! S6 I No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
0 L, s0 }% I# b$ f Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
4 R( o! O; r4 W1 |, W2 B We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
# b0 t- E% a  B/ q$ |8 V The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

2 d# m: ^( E, d7 P2 p4 z. _, A Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03