March/April 2002 Spirituality
Christ in Aquarius?

by Gabrielle Chavez

On a visit to the Holy Land last spring, I found a small brown rock close by the shore of the Sea of Galilee. Two chips in it revealed a flinty core. One chip looked like a broken “Valentine’s heart”. The other, amazingly, showed a small fish design perfectly outlined in the black. I carried this unusual rock in my pocket because I liked the feel of it. One day I was turning it around and saw a picture of a water jug instead of a fish.

Wow! Here I had been pondering the significance of all the beautiful zodiacs represented in the architecture of churches and synagogues in the Holy Land, very much aware of the traditional identification of Jesus with the sign of the fish and the age of Pisces. As most of us know, that age is now giving way to the Age of Aquarius, the water-bearer. And some who follow these matters conclude that the religion of those who follow Jesus must be passing away along with the old age.

In fact, much associated with his religion is passing away and good riddance. Good riddance to the days when an authoritarian church was in power. Good riddance to the church being an arm of the state. Good riddance to the widespread enforcement of intelligence-insulting, spirit crushing dogma. Good riddance to the Bible being used to justify slavery and oppression, homophobia and the subjugation of women. Good riddance, indeed, to all Piscean hierarchies, both sacred and secular.

Now, perhaps, we can begin to appreciate the part of Jesus’ message presaged by that mysterious water bearer who led the disciples of Jesus to the upper room where they celebrated communion for the first time. (Luke 22:10) It was an Aquarian Christ who promised a woman he met at a well “living water”. Who anticipated and created a most non-hierarchical Aquarian form of group life when he said to his disciples, “You are my body”. Who promised that his energy and spirit would flow out their hearts like “rivers of living water”.

It thrills me that these things are being revealed in the turning of time. I look at my rock and wonder “is this a sign that it is time for the religion of Jesus to be fulfilled, not to pass away?” The motto on the logo of my very mainline Protestant denomination, the United Church of Christ, is the mystical prayer of Jesus “that they all may be one.” (John 17:11) How, after all this time can we recognize that oneness unless this sign is true?

On September 11, the world as we knew it ended. One healthy response was much personal soul-searching about whether we are ready to simply follow Jesus’ example of living out that oneness by forgiving those who persecute us, blessing those who curse, rendering to no one evil for evil but overcoming evil with good. Not all of our responses have been as healthy.

The Dalai Lama also teaches about this stretch toward forgiveness and compassion. If we, individually and collectively, forgave ourselves and one another and refused to continue to live by the old tribal law of an eye for an eye, the end of the old age will indeed yield to the beginning of a new and better one. Will Christ’s followers, his admirers and others influenced by his life hold themselves to the demands of the next stage of our spiritual evolution, which he heralded? If my “chance found rock” has anything to say, yes we will.

Gabrielle Chavez is co-convenor of Christ the Healer UCC, which meets in circle gathering every Monday at 7 pm at 5150 SW Watson, Beaverton 503-650-4447