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.

Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
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.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
% l. z; s9 r% ^9 J5 H Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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% n- Z, n0 R3 H" z1 I# R' e4 k: Y The instant the pebble kisses the pond
9 X+ D" d+ Y0 \0 z1 C) E+ b5 j Its signature of concentric ripples
  {+ i8 M# `  ^2 I+ U+ B0 p Spiral outwards
  D4 [, q% N3 @5 e Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
* L3 C) d& _9 J2 F) M( { Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
7 F& M  Y7 o1 t That who we are meant to be
' z- ~& \1 }( H9 ? Can never be measured in isolation
$ {" C/ s6 O2 Q5 C6 q5 } on a path into ourselves.
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5 `) O% T; ]7 \# C7 n It is true then:
0 V+ ]4 i# a' Z- U* } Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
+ o0 p! p' H$ H- V3 S that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
& ]3 o- t' B# j6 b2 P: x# h not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
( F: Q& B- s% P: k4 q- Y Because even the smallest pebble
, Z4 j- o" ^) z3 p0 _ No matter how seemingly insignificant
/ g* F. Q5 S1 H& S) j, A- J Changes the course of the lives
# s1 ?% H' N* \' l% X; _, W4 ` Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
7 ?/ e' y+ O6 |, L, y/ p- \# m beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
* J# k+ K5 o! w8 t! N% 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