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.

$ N4 v* l. S: t( ?8 W* o- v* Z- t Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
5 h: p* P- k# C$ i! ]8 z Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
# t" b1 f6 V0 m. q' v8 q4 F A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- |% B4 K3 j8 l& T3 g But just a very small stone.

2 t, y# w2 [+ U( { The pebble's place in our world
7 R0 g, z+ a% ]" Z& \# \ Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
; u& x+ U( D+ Z  a( W Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
( }2 L* \! b: i' W6 j! ^$ S Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
. }6 E( k9 ]0 { Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
# x7 }6 o+ q# M1 d% A) U4 e5 T Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
# j/ W8 A7 h" q, ~- V4 a$ ~5 y: W Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) `, u' x, X, q! c# @2 b: O Creating karmic energy
& O  H; e6 A5 K; C6 Q4 n/ A, [ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
& b1 b% h' y8 s& _( R. Y- c' N Can never be measured in isolation
  y' j: B# B3 z5 n on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
( W+ T8 G" [: O% k# R9 { not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
& k' ?7 p- {, q1 N' P$ X$ | Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ N! a( ]8 O' h# p4 J Changes the course of the lives
/ j5 P& R* {4 n Of those we touch.?
- A( N. E% Q7 S+ u1 _$ f9 u
$ F3 u5 T! N( J8 ]1 d7 e; B) K8 K And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
) d* j0 n) l$ K* `  P( o1 H With the knowledge that
! o( D) n0 w3 ~+ E  A, x# d, d because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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- W/ Q! D9 V5 ?- B Ross Rosenberg
- K/ C2 n6 o" O9 [ 8/18/03