Millions gather worldwide to welcome the new year
The midnight ball dropped in New York as millions gathered around Times Square, fireworks flew over Sydney Harbor. New Zealand and many South Pacific island nations sang and danced their way into 2011. In Europe, Greeks, Irish and Spaniards partied through the night. As the clock ticked closer to 2011, cities across Asia readied for midnight events. Hundreds of thousands of people gathered along Hong Kong's Victoria Harbour to watch fireworks explode. In central Tokyo, thousands packed in to count down until midnight. Even communist Vietnam held a rare Western-style countdown to the new year as the world ushered in 2011.
The AD/BC aspect of the current calendar we use globally is not accidental or insignificant. A distinction between periods of time historically was decided on many years ago. A historical event of world significance was used as the line drawn in the sand and its effectiveness has just as much relevance now as when it was first decided on and accepted to use.
2011 years ago, in the Middle East, an event occurred that permanently changed the world. Because of that event, history was split. Every time you write the date you are forced to acknowledge that Jesus has influenced the course of history more than any man. The birth of Christ utterly altered the way we measure time. He turned aside the river of the ages out of its course and lifted the centuries off their hinges. His birth and death are the markers by which most of the world measures time and have become major holidays in Western civilization. Now, the whole world counts time as before Christ (BC) and AD (Anno Domini), in the year of the Lord. It is ironic that even the most vitriolic atheists have to acknowledge the centrality of Christ every time that they write the date!
In fact, the Revolutionary Convention, during the French Revolution, attempted to abolish the Christian calendar and introduce a 10-day work week, counting the years from the establishment of their “Republic”, beginning 1792. It needs hardly to be pointed out that they failed.
Every time December 25 comes around and you get the day off or double time or wish someone a "Merry Christmas", you must again admit that he is far more important to mankind than any other historical figure. At the very least, he must have been one of the greatest men in history. No other figure in human history has been the subject of more research, books and articles. Over the centuries, thousands of men have dedicated their lives to studying and documenting His life. His book is by far the most widely purchased, best selling book of all time having sold more than 6billion copies and it is still the most preferred book for the masses.
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