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.

( I" t# G/ s* Y5 Z2 S Heaven
  M8 C. x9 N. e" T; P/ J The pebble is worn smooth
# A2 c1 r/ x& n Made small over time
6 L: v  v9 [! }. w1 } A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
- s0 q. S1 j2 C% _9 _ An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
0 w; V- C+ @) E8 t Is neither understood nor appreciated
: L5 K. w" P* U0 Y But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
6 R$ m) f3 g+ D, n3 h: w3 L; k Its insignificance is transformed
5 s+ H% u+ S* T  @, `7 Z Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
4 a) r# b  o9 x5 ~+ O) ^7 o% r0 s
/ k; n) o' E1 [+ e2 W The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
+ ^  `# |) v8 G; C1 E  ?9 \, |" ^ Gently affecting everything in its wake
2 W! T; ~5 u% m/ r0 \1 ] Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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% i- a5 E6 A. [5 o3 ] The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
6 v9 [* m' q2 y( b5 p( y1 D0 A Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
# o2 D6 e* \2 g) z& ]% D% ? Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
: @( e5 P  D" t8 T5 p Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
! W: L5 w& j- L# _9 K Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
8 U) G0 Q! h0 A# u Our everlasting future
4 P' M# }6 Y1 ]" U8 m/ t Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
$ E6 Q3 ], O1 x Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
# v: ?3 `6 {2 X7 V/ }/ j; {- B Not because of thoughts
2 g& A7 K& c" Q( B not because of well meaning plans
; D  ]3 G7 H0 E2 ]8 I4 ` But because of actions.
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* a* }, X% {$ { Our life's prayers our answered
5 S# q* B  L& ]+ c Because even the smallest pebble
2 C3 H5 V$ `$ C9 H( r+ [8 S No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
% J" h2 ?8 U5 t% [ beckon our lasting attention
4 F& q6 `7 @8 m7 h We will gently leave this life
: s2 y# g$ l/ ~9 l With the knowledge that
4 d  {4 ?9 k( l because of that one pebble
" v  d7 \1 _6 i6 m& g: J7 } The world will never be the same.

4 Z! t* _( Y- h; }$ d/ z And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
" a$ F+ |* Z+ V6 T' @4 E 8/18/03