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.

8 G1 }4 k5 a" ]% ?0 B8 _9 y Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
6 Z/ ?5 l9 D! |& e0 N- V 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.

) y" L# W/ l( T' L' F! R The pebble's place in our world
+ }  R" {3 V5 w" V( F; L+ @ Is neither understood nor appreciated
4 N. R# }3 g2 v But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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. g9 f/ O" m) S' g The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
  I& a- g" J$ y# A; }( X Gently affecting everything in its wake
, r1 o( q) Y0 ]! T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
8 ?/ h$ c8 `3 w9 b1 X9 |" q$ L By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
2 \. n( a* N5 X/ }; t Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

! S1 \( T% u. K  S Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
: T' C& W7 [1 f8 Q7 @+ Z But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
$ K* U5 Q5 c) u$ M Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
' k! `& M5 G3 [! z+ q# d, h. J Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
/ p% H4 O5 a0 N that leave unique mark on our world
& k0 G- L  u# @- `2 o8 @ Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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+ b9 ]% J" e, |- ^' ?$ G Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
* q: J3 k( L: K" v Of those we touch.?

" l) D1 z; _2 j8 ?9 k And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
+ }" @8 y2 ~: \8 z' y  w8 I With the knowledge that
; @4 b2 I! ~% @- d& z2 y& c* g because of that one pebble
! |3 S0 o( t5 y6 K& u The world will never be the same.

6 I5 c  g8 J" O: N& y! Z And then we have heaven …

% S: p5 T: \) J: V% W/ G3 f( } Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03