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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1 J2 B+ [8 C6 S! |# M8 _ 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
# b) I. M6 c+ r The pebble is worn smooth
/ S3 D2 `- [1 T+ R Made small over time
A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
9 S! o( [5 ]' _2 j3 p* u. `3 U; A A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
# Q9 Z5 ^( W4 e* }$ i' @6 m6 O An accidental offspring of a boulder
, J% M& F- N, ?. a But just a very small stone.
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. W) P. k( ]# b7 F8 Y# e The pebble's place in our world
6 p& i* v) w: g Is neither understood nor appreciated
But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
5 D' A$ H' r; [% {3 i; p+ C  r2 N6 X$ z 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
( K( X+ p1 L0 J0 s- A Moving far beyond itself.
/ i5 B# s. U3 p# `. y& G Gently affecting everything in its wake
Forever altering the smooth placid surface.
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; X- z3 v( Z3 G& k1 u/ f% M The pebble creates its worth and meaning
By unleashing its unimagined power?
, r8 ?6 t% @% U0 F9 X$ X: H- \ Into a dueling force of action and reaction
Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.
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$ S% f0 p7 V+ F. X Aren't we all pebbles?
) l2 _, h2 `1 ]& `( R) `1 A Feeling small and insignificant
But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.
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9 {+ l7 M9 q" K9 H& f It is true then:
, s$ A% \5 b! z' I# n+ v  z Our everlasting future
Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
+ M' e1 d0 @, _' _+ t7 @+ E Into the pond of life
; v+ J0 e5 E$ }2 a, @ Creating ripples
that leave unique mark on our world
5 N4 C2 Z* A0 E4 Z Not because of thoughts
2 }# u% N& p# R/ j6 v$ P% I# f- j not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

Our life's prayers our answered
1 z7 z$ U# T9 S( F Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

0 X! `* B/ Z' o" e1 S, Y And when the icy winds of death
! m! o- @- o  ] beckon our lasting attention
( ?  R' x# V& ? We will gently leave this life
6 {! b: a: P( l, U+ o* Q9 D. ] With the knowledge that
because of that one pebble
The world will never be the same.
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And then we have heaven …
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Ross Rosenberg
' ]* Z. Q+ @% j- l. H2 t 8/18/03