Simeon and Anna: Waiting on God's Salvation

Luke's Gospel tells us about Simeon and Anna, two people who met Mary and Joseph at the Temple when they brought Jesus there as an infant. Luke notes pieces of their conversation -- presumably passed along to others by Mary. While the pieces of conversation are worth noting, so are the actions: they waited. They waited and waited. They kept coming back. People only wait -- and keep waiting -- when they expect something. They trusted God. They trusted when the wait seemed endlessly long. They trusted that if God made a covenant, then God kept his covenant. If God promised something, then it would come in its time. They expected God to keep his word, so they waited. 

In comparison, our age's cynicism seems like bitter despair masquerading as realism. Our age's irreverence consists, in the main, of mocking hostility toward reverence -- toward virtues of respect, hope, and faith. Our age is full of "virtue signals" but not of virtue. 

Simeon tells us what he expected, what he considered fulfilled when he saw Jesus: A light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Israel. Simeon had hope and faith even before he had seen. May our day be capable of hope and faith again.