In the last few months, I’ve had conversations with several friends who are able to see and interpret where the Church and culture stand in this particular moment in history. The word “era” is used in these conversations to describe what is transpiring historically. The consensus of these conversations is that we are standing on the threshold of a new era of human history.

An era is a long period of time that contains seasons. The succession and accumulation of seasons help define an era. The unfolding eras of human history can be broadly defined as Pre-History, Ancient History, Classical Era, Middle Ages, and the Modern Era. We are in a transition between the Modern Era and a still-to-be-defined era that is emerging.

An accurate definition of an era is difficult to create since some of the seasonal elements needed to create a definition of an era are still in process. Many of us have made the mistake of seeing life only through the lens of a current season and miss the fact that something much larger is taking place.

All seasons will come to an end. Eras can last for hundreds or even thousands of years. Those large expanses of time can make our individual contributions seem insignificant when in reality those contributions are what the Lord will use to shape a developing history. How we choose to live in each moment of life will determine our contribution to the larger era in which we live. Today, when we obey the voice of the Lord, we will be making history. Our choices are significant.