Posted in Philosophy

Two Ends, One Arc, One Humanity

Two unique ends joined together in beauty...

We stand in awe at the wonder of a rainbow, where two ends seemingly anchored move with your motion. Two ends unite in a seamless band of color that reflects our shared human experience. The same unifying bands remind us that despite our differences, we are connected through the same light, the same colors, the same humanity.

Christian Lent begins in one sanctuary with penance: remember your mortality and The Sacrifice. Islamic Ramadan begins in another realm with a whispered intention: remember your dependence. Different rituals: yet, both trace back to the same broad spiritual lineage—Abraham. Fasting, repentance, charity, and self-denial are shared practices rooted in this common heritage. They are carried forward in both Islam and Christianity, illustrating our interconnected spiritual traditions.

Between those ends stretches the rainbow’s spectrum — red to violet, each band distinct, each shade necessary. The beauty is not in uniformity but in ordered diversity. Every band retains its identity while belonging to and building something larger.

Bias is what happens when we insist that only our perspective is right. When we claim ownership of the light and forget that our perceptions are shaped by perspective, we neglect the reality that shared understanding and compassion define humanity.

Fasting under a church steeple or a mosque minaret confronts the same human experience and encourages acceptance and understanding. The rainbow does not advocate for which end is the original or correct. It simply refracts what already exists, the light that we all are.

Unity is not sameness. It is recognition and acceptance. For the rainbow to exist, there must be interaction between sky and earth, sun and rain, and yet we can stand on different ground and share the same light, fostering openness and clarity.

When bias dissolves, what remains is not a blurred identity but a clearer vision of our interconnectedness. We realize that the bonds we share are not forced but natural, like the spectrum of a rainbow that was always one phenomenon, reflecting the unity inherent in our diversity.

Two unique ends. Shared colors. Common light. Humanity does not need to merge to be united. It only needs the clarity to see the arc. NeverFearTheDream   simplebender.com

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On Wednesday, February 18, 2026, Christians enter Lent and Muslims begin their first full fast of Ramadan. Ramadan and Lent align closely in 2026 and overlap meaningfully in 2027, a convergence that recurs roughly every 33 years, next appearing around 2059–2061. Ramadan follows a purely lunar calendar, while Lent follows a solar-lunar calculation tied to Easter; their seasons of sacrifice and faith overlap only when the drifting Islamic year aligns with the Christian liturgical cycle—an intersection that occurs roughly once every 33 years and can last several consecutive years before separating again.


Lap Around the Sun: Daily Steps Forward
by WCBarron

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Joy in Alzheimer’s: My Mom’s Brave Walk into Dementia’s Abyss
by WCBarron

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Posted in Favoites

Old Glory and Her Companions

Recently, I’ve spent some time driving through several urban and rural parts of America and something struck me. I noticed a lot of American flags flying. Some were crisp, clean, and clearly new. Some were tattered and worn. Some were damaged by smoke and flames from forest fires, yet they survived. I saw the red strip as well as the blue strip.  Most waved majestically, stars aloft. A very few flew resolutely upside-down declaring distress. The flag of the Republic fluttering in the breeze silently representing all of us regardless of our political position. You see the flag doesn’t know or care what you believe. It simply waves, the light dancing off the symbolic colors and independent, yet clustered, stars.

What struck me the most was the flags which joined Old Glory. Those are the flags which might just tell the real story of belief and maybe disbelief. I saw the State’s flag symbolically flying subserviently. I saw the flag remembering those Missing In Action (MIA) and the sacrifice they and their families have made and solemnly wished them well. I saw crisp, new, clean Ukrainian flags the bright yellow and blue sending a strong message and wished them peace and strength. I saw the Rainbow flag. I saw the Gadsden flag and pondered if the those flying it knew its history and that of the Continental Marines which it represented. I saw flags of the failed Confederacy and of South Vietnam and wondered.

But the grouping which was most gripping was a tri-pole flying an inverted, half-staffed, American in the center, a ‘Brandon’ flag to the left and a Russian flag to the right. As I passed, I was glad those responsible for the display had the right and freedom to do so. And yet wondered about those flying the MIA and/or the Ukraine flags and the messages each cluster was sending.

Maybe the few inverted flags were the most symbolically honest. Maybe we are a divided country in distress. Division only benefits our detractors and enemies. Maybe we should disarm our polarized positions and recognize, despite ourselves, we are stronger together than apart. Let’s not let them win.

#NeverFearthe Dream