One day when my oldest daughter was in elementary school, she shared with us a story called something like ‘Harold and Harold.’
There is a family. The father is a fisherman. They live by an area of the ocean that can be treacherous in a storm, near a place called Ledgy Island.
One day – as I understand the story– a young boy named Harold and his pet parrot, who is also named Harold, get up early. The boy Harold goes to play in the attic and the parrot Harold flies to the dangerous Ledgy Island. As the other members of the family wake up and get going for the day someone calls out, “where’s Harold?” and the voice from the attic replies, “on Ledgy Island.”
The parents start to panic. There is a storm brewing and Ledgy Island is a very dangerous place in the storm so they call out the search parties to look for him; they call all their relatives; they call the RCMP; they call the coast guard; they call everyone they can think of to help find Harold the boy whom they fear is lost in the storm.
Now of course, it is Harold the bird who left for the island but he is fine. The community is searching high and low for Harold the boy however, who never did leave the safety of his own home. At some point during the day, Harold the boy, who is playing in the attic hears all the noise as the searchers are gathering below and decides to come down and check it out – it sounds like a party. He walks into the midst of everyone and no one notices him. He sees people watching TV with his face on the TV; he sees the RCMP in the living room. He sees people everywhere and he sees neighbours bringing over food and Harold figures this definitely must be a party.
Harold then notices that everyone is looking sad. Nobody is having fun at this party. Some people are crying; nobody looks happy so he pipes up from the middle of this crowd of people who are looking for him and says, “Some party this is!”
It is only then that they look up, take a break from what they are doing that see what is right in front of their eyes. It is only then that they notice Harold is actually standing in their midst – He was never really lost.
In our Bible text today, this is exactly what Simeon did in the busyness of the Temple – stopped, looked up and saw Jesus. Later in Luke Chapter 2, this is exactly what Anna will do in the business of the Temple – stop, look up and see Jesus. And today, this is exactly what we are called to do in the busyness of our own lives – stop, look up and see Jesus.
What are some of the ways today that we may be sadly distracted – even in the churches - from finding Jesus is our midst?
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