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.
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Heaven
The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
8 `; s  L7 G( H: Y0 a  R3 C% b Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
- C  B+ ]+ k( ^" x2 r Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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The instant the pebble kisses the pond
8 q" U$ |3 K+ a3 M5 H) _9 T Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
# v, [3 M, y. U1 S9 p' z7 A Moving far beyond itself.
: s# W' s1 Z( a2 }! p9 ?) s Gently affecting everything in its wake
, |  I7 B, d4 L" ^ Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
" @" @0 ~1 D4 O/ p% r Into a dueling force of action and reaction
) _3 x1 f" i' v! B Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

& L0 T% J7 [( P+ Z Aren't we all pebbles?
! U: E' y) o: S. o9 G Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
# Z5 z( j. b" n# b 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
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
. ~. S. g) J0 L% R* g5 @ Into the pond of life
: I" L5 D, b* h" K9 }: D Creating ripples
1 Y( i! B( A) f2 Z4 C0 b that leave unique mark on our world
Not because of thoughts
7 E+ Y1 M5 A# N4 U( h not because of well meaning plans
! C; f. B$ e4 p+ u9 V% n7 t- ?1 g But because of actions.
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Our life's prayers our answered
Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
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Of those we touch.?
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And when the icy winds of death
0 E! O* i+ }0 E  H1 Z3 b- Y beckon our lasting attention
. _/ n. U8 u+ {  p2 j We will gently leave this life
With the knowledge that
0 H, i1 }! S* o  V because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03