Uncommon Era 不寻常的纪元

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Dexu Xia

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Sep 12, 2022, 2:53:10 AM9/12/22

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The Jews agreed to continue the celebration they had begun, doing what Mordecai had written to them. Esther 9:23

Despite living much of his life as a pagan, the Roman emperor Constantine (ad 272–337) implemented reforms that stopped the systematic persecution of Christians. He also instituted the calendar we use, dividing all of history into bc (before Christ) and ad (anno Domini, or “in the year of the Lord”).

A move to secularize this system has changed the labels to ce (Common Era) and bce (before the Common Era). Some people point to this as yet another example of how the world keeps God out.

But God hasn’t gone anywhere. Regardless of the name, our calendar still centers itself around the reality of Jesus’ life on earth.

In the Bible, the book of Esther is unusual in that it contains no specific mention of God. Yet the story it tells is one of God’s deliverance. Banished from their homeland, the Jewish people lived in a country indifferent to Him. A powerful government official wanted to kill them all (Esther 3:8–9, 12–14). Yet through Queen Esther and her cousin Mordecai, God delivered His people, a story still celebrated to this day in the Jewish holiday of Purim (9:20–32).

Regardless of how the world chooses to respond to Him now, Jesus changed everything. He introduced us to an uncommon era—one full of genuine hope and promise. All we need to do is look around us. We’ll see Him.

How do you react to instances where it seems like God is being “banished”? In what ways do you see Him today?

Father, thank You for the history-changing reality of Your Son, Jesus.

犹大人按着末底改所写与他们的信，应承照初次所守的守为永例。—以斯帖记9章23节

罗马皇帝康士坦丁（公元272-337年）虽然大半生都是异教徒，但却执行一些改革，阻止了对基督徒一连串有计划的迫害。他甚至设立我们如今所用的历法，将历史划分为主前（before Christ，缩写BC）以及主后（拉丁文anno Domini，缩写AD，又称主的纪年）。

后来，学者为了淡化这套历法系统的宗教色彩，将之改为公元（Common Era，缩写CE）与公元前（before the Common Era，缩写BCE）。有些人认为，这是世人将上帝排除在外的另一个例子。

但上帝从未消失，无论纪年的名称是否提及主耶稣，我们的历法仍然以耶稣的降世来作为分水岭。

在圣经中，以斯帖记是一部与众不同的书，因其内容没有明确提及上帝，但整卷书却是讲述上帝解救祂的子民。犹太人亡国之后，被掳到一个不敬畏上帝的国家。一位权势滔天的官员想将犹太人赶尽杀绝（以斯帖记3章8-9、12-14节）。但藉由皇后以斯帖和她的堂兄末底改，上帝解救了祂的子民，成为至今仍在犹太人普珥节中欢庆传唱的一则故事（9章20-32节）。

不论如今世人如何回应耶稣，祂还是改变了一切。祂将我们带入一个独特的纪元，一个充满真实盼望及应许的纪元。我们只需观察四周，就会看见祂。

当上帝看似被世界排除在外时，你要如何回应？
今天，你在哪些人事物当中能看见祂？