Use of "and lo" in a sentence

What, if any, is the right way to use "and lo" in a sentence?

My basic structure is "[discussion about thing], and lo, [example of thing]", kind of like: There's a cliche about circus clowns being creepy and dangerous, and lo, last night I saw a clown violating a teddy bear.

Is this proper? Should there be a colon or semicolon after "lo"?

The words 'and lo' are usually followed by an exclamation mark (And lo! the majestic Himalayas, lay untrammeled before their very eyes!) , to emphasize the dramatic nature of the event that has come to pass. 'Lo and behold' is a related variant, also usually followed by an exclamation mark.

Lo means look or behold [here/there]. It's not ordinarily used the way OP's example has it, where the amazing sight being referenced isn't actually present at the time of speaking.

In grammatical terms it's an interjection, so any alternative would also need to function in that way. For OP's example, I'd suggest And would you believe it! (an interjection, not a question).

Per @Karl's comment to the question, whilst not exactly "obsolete", it's at the very least least a "dated" usage in most conversational contexts today.