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.

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 ?$ u2 L/ _+ k7 y) @! R% y Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
* `: B" i6 B' W) F" f Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
( l5 z" M4 L$ e! V) \* e& y3 g7 d) W A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
( {9 ^1 {. H; k1 O1 _/ T* O But just a very small stone.

) `* z' b3 r4 y' d The pebble's place in our world
* `! c' P; n4 Y& |3 l Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
4 J6 b6 W6 G( j4 }( u- j8 t# m* k Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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# m' X" e& N0 U9 C: q The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
1 u$ V3 a; a/ K4 k# Z0 N3 q& X Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
! e2 x  c( L3 @) q Gently affecting everything in its wake
9 c+ P  [8 d9 }% `' Z- n) k" ~ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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% B9 z7 o+ D3 d- A/ i The pebble creates its worth and meaning
. U% t* E, O( N& Y By unleashing its unimagined power?
. ~$ }4 M0 j  I9 I  M$ C& \ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
- P6 L+ j, O. O4 r, m Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

6 e$ J0 a1 q4 Y6 c$ A# p 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
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
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Not because of thoughts
( F+ }8 k: b6 ~5 e0 E not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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7 r( i+ `5 B. @$ ~ Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
1 P# K. M5 b9 D) }+ e; e- p) d No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 w8 N4 X) Z1 o9 n$ f* f Changes the course of the lives
/ \- f! w' `. }0 I; b- S2 J Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
% h) ?. G( x" S0 z8 q5 j We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
. c" A+ q' Z6 L* R because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03