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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' H$ f% e# I1 [ 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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; C8 }/ s* U" Y: {* I Heaven
, `  x3 Q9 L8 _/ b The pebble is worn smooth
) z. i% D/ _8 W, r; Y1 q9 L! @ Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
6 {; i) o& d8 L' p5 h* w A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
# _1 D! c$ c/ O/ M+ w& ] But just a very small stone.

The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
$ w% O. T" l2 h& X: \- `- d- E But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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6 x7 R5 e& u, g The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
/ v" r/ |! O  i Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
! x- J5 T* c1 }6 \ Gently affecting everything in its wake
3 a5 z, J2 t( y; ^6 b& h$ }/ Q 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
! w, ?6 ^. w+ x- c) R3 n) A Creating karmic energy
% b& ~, }+ s) G  O/ W+ [ Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
3 A6 G$ W' V; h That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
; A- t9 d9 H' D, v3 R; U on a path into ourselves.

; j9 V5 K- M0 u 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
) D0 y- W+ _3 }" T8 ^ Not because of thoughts
3 C5 @3 k2 f" h+ G" l not because of well meaning plans
+ G/ g. ^4 g' j8 a But because of actions.
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' Z8 o- N5 L) w! J( L Our life's prayers our answered
/ h) Q* }& A5 c3 m' [ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

5 b% ]- {. x+ B And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
) g% U; U5 x/ ?9 `% ~1 d8 j* | We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
  ^1 b$ M# y, f+ n% w' \( n because of that one pebble
$ q' ]8 b) M8 J+ X; b  s# E* Y The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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" l, t4 J7 k8 p; V" E; z2 ~ Ross Rosenberg
" t/ c, o9 m. U 8/18/03