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.
7 {! }6 C' k) Q
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
; G& s. ^7 U2 J The pebble is worn smooth
Made small over time
( |* n. f& {" O, r/ l3 C A product of a cataclysmic force of nature
A fragment of mountainous sheets of rock
3 I; ]9 C# y% q0 O. t# } An accidental offspring of a boulder
But just a very small stone.
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The pebble's place in our world
Is neither understood nor appreciated
  U3 z: s2 K( O0 ~% z' W- O+ X But when thrown into a glassy calm pond
Its insignificance is transformed
Its meaning and purpose is unleashed.

The instant the pebble kisses the pond
) U# m, d7 r- l6 s Its signature of concentric ripples
Spiral outwards
Moving far beyond itself.
! c2 P! T! ^. B0 H2 K Gently affecting everything in its wake
8 N: S1 M/ X0 ?; B" X Forever altering the smooth placid surface.

, \5 e2 V2 v: E1 k The pebble creates its worth and meaning
( O7 s. x4 o; q9 { By unleashing its unimagined power?
Into a dueling force of action and reaction
. o$ t$ a" @6 h$ L8 \ Creating karmic energy
Producing lasting and fluid impressions.

; m1 b3 M4 [" z' j8 G% @ Aren't we all pebbles?
+ _; f4 W2 o  s* v0 l Feeling small and insignificant
+ h" O; y- m/ z+ u9 H But ultimately recognizing
That who we are meant to be
Can never be measured in isolation
on a path into ourselves.

It is true then:
  y! u1 A: |; m+ z$ y. C Our everlasting future
' y3 Y- }4 l2 e* ?; a$ A Is created by the indiscriminate tossing of pebbles
Into the pond of life
( d( i) C2 _/ J Creating ripples
# u$ b: A6 ?% z. q5 r3 z that leave unique mark on our world
) e. }6 ]: J0 x: ]5 d Not because of thoughts
& ]/ E0 o/ i7 C9 ?: l, }0 d not because of well meaning plans
But because of actions.

7 I# ?, W& h0 W) |+ T Our life's prayers our answered
. q2 |5 y- H0 O6 ~$ ^& ~8 [3 l; k Because even the smallest pebble
No matter how seemingly insignificant
) a$ C- `' J" }# |  F Changes the course of the lives
Of those we touch.?

9 Q- ?1 c3 f! P8 F: U& y- g9 B* x- h And when the icy winds of death
6 M7 o$ n- b+ {6 j6 l( X3 q" M beckon our lasting attention
We will gently leave this life
2 s7 u# G2 r% e; D With the knowledge that
! U9 X4 a3 p4 t1 j2 q: k because of that one pebble
9 |9 {4 D4 A( @0 A& {5 ~! e The world will never be the same.

And then we have heaven …

Ross Rosenberg
/ [  _2 K2 m5 X# `% A9 P 8/18/03