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.

4 S! }9 _4 s$ r1 U# n 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
5 A# |/ G' {. T. L3 z A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
) G+ y& p6 o& c8 t; Z A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
- G) r. a4 R7 A( n, h' I) p But just a very small stone.
5 }0 c3 b2 t" E! J
The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
7 V8 m6 o( o( r9 O2 \7 f% |5 z6 Q& Q  T But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
3 y. m1 c% h- L7 ? Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

9 U3 D+ i3 ^; @* j3 ?1 T% B# ] 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.
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5 u0 H8 v! B' l. c The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
6 z/ _$ e# ^* M$ y% ]1 Q0 ] Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

7 c, D! q: s2 f) G; N$ H! H Aren't we all pebbles?
8 n! g& I7 r5 w3 o" e2 k Feeling small and insignificant
& Y2 \$ r; H2 ]& l But ultimately recognizing
- `/ |! Q% Y0 |9 p) u That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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It is true then:
Our everlasting future
: o+ r7 z& Y" {6 K8 u9 T, K Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
5 ~5 {& D& A7 j/ _* L Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
6 K. D5 Y4 L' d) y not because of well meaning plans
1 F5 g9 n, V. X But because of actions.
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/ l7 [+ e2 w& [0 z Our life's prayers our answered
" x' C9 }# O6 [: Z; J. X1 B Because even the smallest pebble
8 s: U# O3 T1 B+ U8 ^! v5 I6 v No matter how seemingly insignificant
: H- r2 S0 M! Z9 K& H# V( X Changes the course of the lives
& ^& \' s4 O& t5 K Of those we touch.?

- p% w7 j# \+ R1 K; K5 f1 ? And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
* l0 j( Q! q/ @# B$ F0 z/ I We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
: V* n  q9 ^7 h7 _( Z2 t8 K because of that one pebble
2 p7 n) ^3 D9 }6 y0 O6 t+ ~2 a3 n8 H: Z The world will never be the same.
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9 G3 L3 I/ e; s And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
! c  X( w( E, X8 Y; ~& L' k* m 8/18/03