*This post is a living work-in-progress.
Not sure why I've been feeling like I should make a flag 🤔...but I made one anyway! There are so many flags these days and they all have their own meaning. I feel like there might be benefit to having a flag of my own that I could stand behind in totality and have it represent the things that have been most impactful in my life. So here it is:
Version 2 of the Dawn/Sunrise Flag
To Start, It Has Many Names:
The Sunrise Flag
The Dawn Flag
The OG Star & Stripes
The OG Trans Flag
The OG Rising Sun Flag
The OG Pride Flag
The OG Don't Tread On Me
But What Does It Mean!?
I've had this flag since mid way through 2023 and already I've been honked at, waved at, cheered and jeered at (I'm assuming) because of this flag. I was asked at a school by a teacher what it stood for and, in passing, all I could say was, "It's the sunrise flag. It's based on the sermon on the mount."
...but really, what does it mean?
So far the inspiration is sourced from Matthew 5.
A Tough Sermon To Live
In Matthew 5 of the New Testament, Jesus gives The Sermon on the Mount. In it he makes some pretty bold declarations and commandments. I remember being a teenage kid reading about this sermon in church and having it hit me how hard it would be to do the things he's telling us to do here...and maybe it's worth an attempt!
43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.
44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;
45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.
Matthew 5 // New Testament KJV
...Say what...?
Okay, for real though! This is quite the mandate. AND wow it would be amazing if I could manage to live life like this. BTW, Christ is not telling us to stay in abusive relationships or sacrifice our self-respect. I believe this has everything to do with getting our hearts at peace towards one another. Maybe what I need is a good visual aid to remind me on a regular basis...🙃.
The Meaning Behind The Colors
My hope is that this flag will represent the energy of the verses in Matthew 5 and to connect it to that morning light briefly mentioned in the passage. I'll start with Sunrise and Dawn. I feel connected to both of these, ya heard. Many people think these are the same thing and use them synonymously, but they are, in fact, different. I've been doing this awhile and I learned this difference 8 years into my goal, 😂! Here are some meaningful differences and why I include each:
Dawn (represented as Dark Blue, Purple, Magenta )
Dawn in the Smoky Mountains
Dawn begins with the first ray of light that enters the atmosphere thus ending night. Dawn consists of 3 different stages of twilight: Astronomical, Nautical, and Civil, each progressing with more light in the sky. Dawn ends with the sun crossing the horizon (*nerdtastic). The full duration of Dawn can be long (hours) depending on where you are at in the world and the time of year.
The word itself, Dawn, has some beautiful definitions:
- n. the first appearance of light in the sky before sunrise.
- n. the beginning of a phenomenon or period of time, especially one considered favorable.
- v. (of a day) begin.
- v. become evident to the mind; be perceived or understood.
From my culture, I associate dawn with feminine energy and with women. Even now I'm realizing one of the most lovely scenes in the bible took place at this time of morning and involved prominent women...
1 In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulchre.
Matthew 28 // New Testament KJV
Dawn is a sacred time. It has it's own energy; burgeoning from the nothingness of night's darkness into warmth and life.
What does Dawn mean to you?
Sunrise (represented as Red, Orange, Yellow)
Sunrise over Bear Lake, Utah
Sunrise begins when the sun crosses the horizon and ends once the sun is completely across the horizon. This period is typically very brief seconds to minutes (*depending on location and time of year).
Some of my favorite experiences have taken place during this burst of life into the world. It's a wonderful feeling to have waited in the cold and moments later feel warm rays of sunshine on your skin. I love facing the sun with my eyes closed and sensing the warm tones of light illuminating my eyelids. It feels empowering and rejuvenating (almost like superman...😉).
To go back to my cultural upbringing, the Sunrise is a representation of masculine energy and men.
What does the Sunrise mean to you?
Dawn in Tallahassee, Florida
Another beauty of this metaphor can be found in the blend of the masculine and feminine. The colors that fade one into another and the whole experience of morning light can be majestic as a consequence.
Contrast (represented as Black & White)
Sunrise Over Grand Teton
Black and White represent Dark and Light. There is Light and then there is the absence of Light. Darkness is not a substance, rather a void, an emptiness. Color only is visible/exists if light is present. A graphic designer friend of mine pointed out one time, as day fades into night that you're able to see less color; they become more subdued and then eventually turn almost grayscale right before you can't see anything (Thanks, Denise!).
The experiences we have in life do a good job of providing us with plenty of contrast; sorrow & joy, hatred & love, doubt & faith. These are all part of the deal. The beauty of contrast is that it connects us to each other. Vulnerability and empathy are born of contrast. We can now relate because there are a range of experiences and we're each dotted along those continuums.
Contrast = Connection.
Thus the Sunrise / Dawn flag:
CMYK Values
For printing the flag, the CMYK Values are as follows:
- Black C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=100%
- Dark Blue C=100%, M=100%, Y=0, K=50%
- Purple C=50%, M=100%, Y=0, K=25%
- Magenta C=0, M=100%, Y=0, K=0
- Red C=0, M=100%, Y=100%, K=0
- Orange C=0, M=50%, Y=100%, K=0
- Yellow C=0, M=0, Y=100%, K=0
- White C=0, M=0, Y=0, K=0
If you want one of these bad boys let me know! You're also welcome to make one yourself using an online custom flag vendor. There are tons available for a good price. Here is a link to a print file (SVG):
Now if you see me out riding... You know what I'm trying to represent 😆!
