Archetype 64: Before Completion
It was now about noon, and darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon, while the sun’s light failed; and the curtain of the temple was torn in two. Then Jesus, crying with a loud voice, said, “Father, into your hands I commend my spirit.” Having said this, he breathed his last. When the centurion saw what had taken place, he praised God and said, “Certainly this man was innocent.” And when all the crowds who had gathered there for this spectacle saw what had taken place, they returned home, beating their breasts. But all his acquaintances, including the women who had followed him from Galilee, stood at a distance, watching these things.
—Luke 23:44–49
The Reading
The ministry of Jesus has come to an end. But his mission has not been completed. There are signs. The temple curtain that separated the inner sanctum (God’s dwelling place) from the rest of the temple has symbolically been torn in two. The earth has been plunged into darkness for three hours and then restored to light. Even the Roman centurion has recognized something special has just occurred. The mission of Jesus was to establish the Kingdom of God, a new era for the earth grounded in love, justice, and peace for all of God’s creation. All the pieces are in place. But Ego still rules. And the earth is still a place that rejects the Kingdom of God. Will Jesus have suffered in vain? That question remains unanswered.
The Hexagram
This hexagram consists of the lower trigram Chaos and the upper trigram Christ. Chaos is the order of the day. Christ carries the message of redemption. Christ hovers over Chaos, but has not yet won.
The Archetype
There is a time...
- To see the task that must be completed as one of cosmic significance, of leading the world out of Chaos and into the Kingdom of God.
- To understand the seriousness and difficulty of the task that must be completed.
- To take heart knowing that God is with us on this path.
- To proceed with the greatest caution.
- To clearly understand the forces that oppose.
- To begin the transformation in our own hearts.
Now is that time.
Moving Lines
Other interpretations of Archetype 64:
- Tom Christensen's interpretation [click here]
- Cafe Au Soul's interpretation [click here]
- LiSe's interpretation [click here]
- Richard Wilhelm's interpretation [click here]
Internal Links:
- Return to the Hexagram Index Table [click here].
- Return to Consulting the Christian I Ching [click here].
- Purchase a printed copy of Wisdom's Way; The Christian I Ching [click here].
- Learn about our Online Christian I Ching Workshop [click here].
- Find out about personal consultations [click here].
Reproduced with permission from Wisdom's Way; The Christian I Ching copyright (c) 2015 Roger Sessions.