It will be said on that day, “Lo, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us. This is the Lord; we have waited for him; let us be glad and rejoice in his salvation.” (Isa. 25:9).

About the best that can be said of the church in the past days of Lent is that we have waited. Lent is the church waiting.

Questions were raised that had no ready answers—questions of sin, injustice, evil, suffering, the demonic power of Pilate's state, the limitations of the howling, democratic mob, the failure of establishment religion coupled with popular piety—how remarkably similar are the deaths of thieves and saviors.

Through all the stories that do not end happily ever after—we have waited.

Though we would like to have sung a premature Alleluia we restrained ourselves, gazed up at t…