the parable of the perpetual sun

there exists a world of perpetual dusk and dawn where the sun is always low and the sky always the colors of dawn and dusk. the thing is, no one knows if the sun is perpetually rising or perpetually setting. no one knows if it is dusk or dawn. and no one can agree one or the other. there is always debate and all the scientists and all the philosophers and all the religions argue the matter. some say it is perpetual dawn- the sun is always rising. some say it is perpetual dusk- the sun is always setting. some say the sun isn't actually moving at all and still others say that it is both rising and setting.

one day a man was sitting outside a cafe that faced the lake, drinking a coffee and reading hemingway. he sat facing the lake with the perpetually colorful sky above it. every now and then he would glance up to it for second before returning to his reading. next to him sat two men, sitting parallel to the lake and sky and looking intensely at each other- their eyes never leaving the other. they were discussing this great quandary- this most famous of mysteries. of course neither agreed with the other and they both argued their points vehemently. finally, at an impasse and a bit exhausted, they paused their debating. the man looked up from his novel during this silence and happened to make eye contact with one of the debaters, who then called to him.

"we're discussing the great question!"

the man laughed and said, "i know."

"well, what do you believe? is the sun rising or is it setting?"

the man thought for a second before looking out across the lake and at that bright, colorful sky with all those oranges and reds and all those yellows and violets stretching and streaking across it- painting all those pretty, white clouds. he saw that ever present sun- glowing and shimmering and making those colors all so real. he took it all in for a few moments and held it. then he looked back at the two men waiting for his answer and said, "i have absolutely no idea... but it sure is beautiful to look at." the debaters looked at the man in silence as he went back to reading his novel.