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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/ G0 i$ @- b+ q5 }  U' { 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.

Heaven
9 L* Y$ k: \9 v8 a, t5 u The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
3 o& `9 A1 p  }, K6 n3 J- j A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
4 p  y6 o4 \/ U) |. k A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 Z- l' g. k$ L! ` An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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4 L$ T% w( ~8 o/ I The pebble's place in our world
& J* j9 L8 I0 f Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
& D  r% w# K* h- n6 N Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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' n, ]. p( X7 j" ^* k The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
, q* p# {# d$ F7 ^) B Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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  K4 f0 c) Q3 P! q; r( n* k4 ] The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: r, {  Y" f( I) z; A  {) Q By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 V  {- b. l% r* t- X# E; c; ] Creating karmic energy
' L: N0 T9 ~- e# ^! b 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
& J$ N! |) ~/ a  p$ b$ l  q4 h on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
) D2 [9 H' W  w( U Into the pond of life
8 n/ I. l4 `7 F Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
' Y! S5 a; z, x3 ]( Q  C2 p8 G2 E Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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/ n/ E( L* S$ }/ s Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
2 |' O* G* Q2 z: k; H; g No matter how seemingly insignificant
4 n1 v" u  l* `! t% k% W Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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9 H$ }' d$ N) d; z" D% E And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
' @# c4 L+ t' |6 @" s! m" _ We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

& k% {: z5 ~( x- Q, d$ R: u5 v6 m And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03