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.

. q- q, `6 j8 P0 a6 O: ] Heaven
2 d) x/ f! m2 m9 ~- e The pebble is worn smooth
$ W/ v+ I4 B5 Y: v* I+ E- k Made small over time
# C$ ~8 W# {, l& s7 { A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
3 F7 r8 i' Y5 H9 |2 C, ~1 I A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
An accidental offspring of a boulder
$ Z; y0 u! t0 U8 h' a; R0 k/ V But just a very small stone.
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9 w& C9 p: ~# z The pebble's place in our world
6 u  e1 [- n% u; G  g' Q& g: m Is neither understood nor appreciated
, q" L+ T  u9 `! H7 h But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
' c1 Q8 X! e5 a2 } Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.
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% T/ `+ y5 z& T  A( V9 b+ I The instant the pebble kisses the pond
Its signature of concentric ripples
( q7 q+ ?, v7 [6 q8 p; O: d Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
2 p) l1 \, S. }1 \6 X/ Q7 c+ z. V Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

0 t4 J6 s  w7 r( r% H; Z# p0 X The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
$ X% ~  S2 {; x& b( v Into a dueling force of action and reaction
- h* Y7 {/ N# I& { Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

) q8 R7 E- Y6 K  K Aren't we all pebbles?
  x- E3 f- n& ^6 i# f1 k Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
9 ?3 |5 D5 R. d' d3 y3 H That who we are meant to be
- X4 B6 @+ b1 t1 T Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

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
/ J- Q, H% k  k5 Y# ^/ e Not because of thoughts
: n& F1 p4 e1 { not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.
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7 s0 s& F0 i5 E* e9 W Our life's prayers our answered
. c7 i8 k) t' h( A+ J; _ Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
3 U) Q3 A: |/ ~- O0 o" f Of those we touch.?

And when the icy winds of death
beckon our lasting attention
# {0 K) k1 m' i We will gently leave this life
9 x6 Q, L: f3 `' R  S' j! `6 f With the knowledge that
- a9 s( J% Z, u5 p because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.

  x! _. T% `8 z And then we have heaven …
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/ W8 i" x4 D9 J- |3 o3 J Ross Rosenberg
8/18/03