June 4, 2025 // Wednesday of the Seventh Week of Easter

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: John 17:11b-19

Reflect on the Word // 

I could feel the tension in the room before they even spoke. Arms crossed, voice cold, they finally said the words I’d been dreading: "That’s just the way you must have perceived it, but that was not what I was doing."

The sentence landed like a punch. I opened my mouth to respond, but what was the point? The wall between us had been there for years, built with misunderstandings, unspoken pain, and unresolved conversations. All I wanted was to be heard, to have my pain acknowledged.

An attempt to heal what’s been broken somehow made things worse. Have you ever been there—standing in the wreckage of a relationship you thought would last, unsure if it can ever be repaired?

I wanted unity. I wanted peace. But I wrestled with a familiar ache—longing for closeness, yet feeling the distance grow. Was I expecting too much? Was I holding on to this wound too tightly? A part of me wanted to let it go, but another part feared that if I did, it would mean my pain didn’t matter.

In John 17, Jesus prays for unity—not just for the Church, but for all relationships that reflect His love. He knows the pain of division, having been betrayed and abandoned by those He loved. Yet, instead of closing His Heart, He turns to the Father, entrusting the brokenness to Him.

I used to think unity meant restoring what was lost, but maybe it begins in the heart of just one person—the one willing to surrender the hurt to God. Maybe this person will never apologize. Maybe the relationship won’t be what I hoped for. But Jesus’ prayer reminds me that unity is ultimately His work. My role is to remain open to healing, even if it means forgiving without receiving an apology. He desires healing even more than we do.

Relate to the Lord // Pray for unity in your family and friendships today.