Simeon and Anna: Di Long Waiting

One old man stand for di temple yard, carry one small pikin for im hand. Im hands dey shake. Water full im eyes. And e dey laugh, and e dey pray, di two at di same time.

Like six weeks don pass since dat night for Bethlehem. Di shepherds don go back to dem field. Now Mary and Joseph waka di short journey go Jerusalem, carry di baby Jesus. Dem dey do wetin di law of Moses ask every family like dem own. After woman born pikin, she go come di temple make dem declare am clean again. And dem go present di first son to di Lord, as sign say e belong to God. So dem climb di steps enter di temple yard wey full with people, carry offering of two small birds. Ordinary family, wey dey do ordinary thing. Na so e be like.

One man dey Jerusalem wey dem dey call Simeon. Luke tell us say e be righteous man, wey fear God well well. E dey wait for wetin Luke call di consolation of Israel: di day wey God go comfort im people and keep im promise. And di Holy Spirit dey on top of am. Di Spirit don show Simeon say e no go die until e see di Messiah of di Lord. Dem no tell us how long e don dey wait. Only say e no stop to wait. Then, dis particular day, di Spirit touch am small. Go di temple. Now.

Simeon reach just as Mary and Joseph dey carry Jesus enter. Out of all di families for dat yard wey full, e know am. E carry di baby for im arms, and e praise God. Lord, now you dey let your servant go for peace, just as you promise. Because my eyes don see your salvation, wey you don prepare for di face of all people. Light wey go open eye of di nations, and glory for your people Israel. Imagine di face of Mary and Joseph. Angels, shepherds, and now one stranger for di temple dey talk di same wonderful thing. Luke say dem marvel for wetin dem talk about am.

Then Simeon bless dem, and e turn to Mary. Im voice come low. Dis pikin, God don set am for di falling and di rising of many people for Israel, and for sign wey people go speak against, so dat wetin dey inside plenty hearts go come open. And then, gently: Sword go pierce your own soul too. For di middle of all dis joy, shadow come. Simeon see say to follow dis pikin no go always easy, and say to love am go one day cost Mary deep pain. Mary hold her son, and she listen.

Dat same time, another person come near. Her name na Anna, one prophetess, di daughter of Phanuel, from di tribe of Asher. She marry for seven years before her husband die. Luke say she be widow of eighty-four, and dat one fit mean say she be eighty-four years old, or say she don be widow for eighty-four years. Anyhow e be, she don old. And she no dey comot from di temple. Night and day she dey worship there, dey fast and dey pray. Now Anna see di pikin, and she begin thank God. And she no stop there. She tell everybody wey dey wait for di redemption of Jerusalem. Di One wey we don dey long for don come.

One small thing dey here wey good to notice: di two birds. Di law of Moses ask new mother make she bring one lamb and one dove as her offering. But Leviticus still make kindness for families wey no get money to buy lamb. Dem fit bring two turtledoves or two young pigeons instead. Luke say na exactly dat one Mary and Joseph offer. Di Messiah wey Simeon wait for all im life, dem born am inside family wey no fit afford lamb.

Simeon and Anna. You go find dem for Luke chapter two, verse twenty-two to thirty-eight. Two old people wey continue to pray, continue to hope, continue to show face for God house, until di day wey dem put di promise for dem hand. So see one question wey you go carry dey go. Wetin you dey wait make God do, and how you fit continue to dey faithful as you dey wait?