How will you mark millennium?

Where will you be in about 20 weeks?

That's when the final shiny ball of the millennium will drop in New York City's Times Square, and the world will begin a new year, a new decade, a new century and a new millennium.

(I pause for all those sticklers who argue that the new century/millennium doesn't begin until 2001. They are technically right but emotionally wrong.)

ABC's plans

The massive undertaking will be led by the news department and anchorman Peter Jennings, but entertainment will be a part of it, including Dick Clark's traditional New Year's Eve rock 'n' roll special.

Correspondents will be located around the world to cover Old Man Time as he lumbers across the globe, and there will be reports on the computer devastation (or lack thereof) caused by Y2K. Pitching in will be networks from England, Japan, Australia, Mexico and other nations.

Where's Jesus?

But I'm wondering how much of that programming will be religious. After all, the only reason we're marking 2,000 years is that Jesus was born. Much of the world, Christian and otherwise, keeps time because He arrived in a stable 20 centuries ago. Even atheists fill out their checks with a number denoting His birthday.

Here is a portion of the ABC news release announcing its "dramatic and unparalleled" coverage of the millennium: "It is expected that other ABC divisions, including ABC Entertainment, ABC Sports and ABC Daytime, will contribute to the 22-hour program."

Notice the missing word? Where is "ABC Religion"? Is there room for a soap opera connection to the millennium but not for a Christian one?

Reason for 2000

This is more than a once-in-a-lifetime chance. It's a once-in-a-millennium opportunity that, obviously, hasn't happened in a thousand years. We're going to get one swing of the bat to do something memorable and fitting when midnight 2000 rings in.

Is it rockin' with Dick Clark? Watching the sun rise in Tokyo with a star of "General Hospital"? Listening to a report on computer outages in Guam?

Each of us gets to decide. One way to come to a good decision is to ask this question: "When my grandchildren ask me where I was and what I did when the millennium turned, what answer will I want to give?"

That answer will say a lot about us.

So, where will you be in about 20 weeks?

(08-12-99) [[In-content Ad]]