If you were told you were going to die tomorrow, would you be ready to go? Young and old alike, the answer to this question is probably “no”! Being ready to leave this world demands tremendous clarity, and whilst some of us have achieved clarity in our lives, the resstumble around confused and overly burdened. We go through the motions of living but all too easily we are living out a ‘ground-hog-day“ existence… running on the spot and repeating the same old mistakes, What we need is someone to tell us where we are going wrong, and gently put us on the right track. In short, what we need is someone to light our way.

In today’s gospel reading, Mary and Joseph present the Baby Jesus at the temple as Jewish law required. Here they meet the elderly Simeon and Anna. Simeon and    Anna have been waiting for the promise written in  scripture that a Saviour would come to light the world and bring salvation to the ends of the earth. Despite their great age, Simeon and Anna were living and praying in hope that they would see the fulfilment of God’s promise. When Simeon sees the Baby Jesus and recognises him as the Messiah he is ready to die in peace because the      fulfilment of scripture was his own personal fulfilment too.

So what are we waiting for in our lives today? Are we able to recognise Jesus and the opportunities he gives us as Simeon did, or are we too busy running round like headless chickens looking for happiness andre-assurances in all the wrong places? How are we waiting? Are we waiting like the proverbial rabbit mesmerised by the fast approaching headlights, or are we waiting in constant preparation?

The time has come to stop flitting from one ambition to  another and from one hollow goal to the next. The time has come to look for a genuinely important goal of God’s floodlit making.

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