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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9 \- G2 v+ j  w/ R. x% ^% Q 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
Made small over time
: D" e3 r5 v- l A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
! Y9 `0 X/ w7 Q But just a very small stone.

7 s! y1 h4 L2 i1 o& W The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
7 h) b8 E0 b( Y+ @ Its insignificance is transformed
1 V0 |* _, a1 u/ a Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

9 P# t5 ]# c' C The pebble creates its worth and meaning
: h  a4 c# H8 t3 {# q$ K By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
4 U3 V, \" H% ?4 f Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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Aren't we all pebbles?
7 e% R  f* b! z Feeling small and insignificant
1 X/ O: M2 J: I9 E. j) g; x1 b But ultimately recognizing
& Y/ j$ O% j) ?1 c" M7 `: F  J That who we are meant to be
( w) Z; [3 J7 Y% t. y Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
$ k1 z6 E. i/ }# N! F1 a8 z" s Our everlasting future
; ?5 ?( O0 B2 N: f. T( [ Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
# u2 k, y7 Q  O/ c5 _# |: f that leave unique mark on our world
' i1 u+ m% X) d2 D: c/ j Not because of thoughts
not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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  r; W) x+ I" D. _% A Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?
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6 l( ?5 {* C% z& c  V And when the icy winds of death
% \) \0 F1 T0 Z! u; u( E beckon our lasting attention
6 L6 P: F% e: B9 i' |0 M We will gently leave this life
5 G& ^' v( {  _1 [% m5 D With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
& T7 x* o8 {0 ]! \2 T9 f The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03