Waiting

By Nate Crary

​Waiting can be the worst.
 
We waited exactly 40 days after our daughter, Olive, was born before we could bring her home from the hospital. Each day had its ups and downs, while the tiny organs in her tiny body slowly began to fire up and learn their function.  Some days felt like forever. Not knowing exactly when the waiting would stop did not help. And then, all of the sudden, the doctor told us, “We think Olive can go home tomorrow.” Relief washed over us and, in an instant, the waiting came to an end.
 
What was it like for all those who loved Jesus to watch him suffer and die on the cross and then wait for his resurrection? The passion story unfolds so quickly, turning from celebration with palms to Jesus’ last breath in what feels like a matter of moments. And, I wonder if that same amount of time felt like an eternity to all those who witnessed it in person. In an instant, we find ourselves with the women at the empty tomb. Jesus is risen, the waiting is over.
 
This, of course, is not the only story of waiting we find in the Bible. God’s people have found themselves waiting in boats, in the belly of big fish, in the desert, and in quiet rooms behind locked doors. While this Easter day might bring waiting to an end for some, still we wait for God’s whole creation to be restored in the midst of global disease and climate disaster, still we wait for God’s justice and healing to be delivered for all who suffer from police brutality and domestic violence, and still we wait for God’s peace to bring an end to senseless war.
 
The good news is this: whether or not we’re ready, Jesus is risen, indeed. The waiting is over. Alleluia.