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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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 S8 K6 H! v" E0 Y4 ?; | 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
& w! Y3 G7 Z% h. W But just a very small stone.

2 g8 T7 E0 e! ^  G$ t# S/ i) V The pebble's place in our world
: r/ R! |0 D6 B Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
7 I2 r0 s: c; n- P: D4 ] Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
/ N  V. y- j/ f1 R8 p! A3 r Its signature of concentric ripples
+ L. d- r. s" [- f4 _, }1 z! L Spiral outwards
; O5 c4 @' z+ s/ M0 v& l Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
! N( i$ x* \% C8 O) j Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
' D3 u3 Y2 q) i, ?& L9 {3 ^* g Into a dueling force of action and reaction
0 {  a5 w! L! }) S% J) U Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
, \9 r2 s8 `+ @" P5 A Feeling small and insignificant
2 @0 C) \" O& O, n1 g But ultimately recognizing
: T0 Y! N! n0 A! [. M That who we are meant to be
/ p" [& B& `  M0 [+ S" B0 T  s Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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: S: x8 @3 D1 @  M It is true then:
, l. t  y+ a% ~2 G Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
" V! o3 b3 Q$ ~( \: e. M0 d Creating ripples
; x" X0 }8 o& E, t6 X7 p that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
, d  {* N, X+ S But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
  z) X. ?  y! \  [5 X- h) o No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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* t2 u( V: S, p+ P And when the icy winds of death
+ m9 p8 [$ p* O! w6 b: z beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
; B0 e- _9 L) J2 ]4 p With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
) G# K( }6 B# D/ Z7 r7 i9 a The world will never be the same.

+ H/ {; E: q; M; _/ ~6 ?# Z And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03