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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: ^$ E+ `8 p- R 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
  M2 w% B* c5 ^% u The pebble is worn smooth
" M- R! F. {" V! f7 V- o' _ Made small over time
& }; o6 }' z9 ?" g A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
' \; ^" B0 `& J3 a1 a A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
2 \4 Z; ^  ]* E- F/ ^6 ^" W4 G An accidental offspring of a boulder
8 e+ x! E5 }6 W9 o" J8 W8 G* L' ^+ D 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
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
& o+ M- L, ]3 C$ } Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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5 {4 d3 Y  t, Q3 x: ]5 w8 A 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.
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4 |& h  O! A7 ?+ j4 Q3 _ Aren't we all pebbles?
Feeling small and insignificant
5 C) K- W+ y: b But ultimately recognizing
- x) ]/ i) @' S" M% o) D! r- A 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:
7 B: c$ j- T8 h, s$ s6 \; i Our everlasting future
6 J- J- {( ]6 c/ @. K1 P. r Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
! o& ~  V4 h& I) u* T1 x- k Not because of thoughts
$ {6 g. g$ M* P6 p& \+ @3 l not because of well meaning plans
9 b- v0 v4 R, q, `" M+ k But because of actions.
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1 Y( ^* a) J6 a  m4 o; v0 k 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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' a* y, q( p0 U  @, [  [, ^ And when the icy winds of death
( G$ B: u% y6 N7 ~6 s; P beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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0 C0 @9 p  q+ l! Z" ?! i And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03