Readings:
Sermon:
"I do not ask for these only, but also for those who will believe in me through their word, that they may all be one, just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you, that they also may be in us, so that the world may believe that you have sent me.” — John 17:20–21
Today’s Gospel gives us a remarkable window into Jesus’ heart and mind, just before He walks the road to the cross. This is his final prayer before his arrest—and who does he pray for? He prays for us. For all who would one day believe through the message of the disciples. That means you. That means me.
And what does Jesus ask for? Not safety. Not comfort. Not even wisdom or boldness. He asks for unity. “That they may all be one.”
But Jesus isn’t talking about a shallow, polite agreement or smiling through clenched teeth. He’s talking about deep spiritual unity—a kind of oneness that reflects the eternal relationship between the Father and the Son: “Just as you, Father, are in me, and I in you.” Jesus is saying that the same kind of relationship He shares with the Father—the same closeness, trust, and mutual love—that’s the kind of unity we’re called to live out with one another.
Why? Why does this matter?
“So that the world may believe that you have sent me.”
Our unity - our love for one another - isn’t just about getting along. It’s evangelism. It’s mission. It’s the visible evidence that Jesus is real, that the Gospel is true, and that there is a love greater than this world can offer.
But let’s be honest: we don’t always live like that, do we?
The Church, particularly the Anglican Church in recent years, has often been more known for its divisions than its unity. Debates, disputes, disagreements - sometimes over things that should not have pushed us apart.
And yet the call remains: Be one. Build bridges.
Let me tell you a story.
In a small town, two brothers, John and Paul, ran a family farm. They worked together for decades. But one day, a minor disagreement over money escalated. Words were exchanged. Accusations flew. And just like that, a lifetime of partnership dissolved into silence. A fence was built - literally - between their two properties.
One day, a travelling carpenter knocked on John’s door looking for work. John said, “See that farm? That’s my brother’s. Build me a fence so I never have to see his face again.”
The carpenter nodded, took the tools, and went to work.
But when John came back at the end of the day, what he found shocked him: not a fence, but a bridge, a strong wooden bridge across the river that divided the properties.
And there, walking across the bridge, was his brother Paul. With tears in his eyes.
Without a word, they embraced. Forgave. Reconciled.
And when they turned to thank the carpenter, he was already walking away.
“Please Stay with us!” they asked him.
But he smiled and said: “I have more bridges to build.”
That carpenter reminds me of Jesus. He came to bridge the greatest divide - the one between God and humanity. And now, He calls us to follow in his steps.To be bridge builders in our own communities. In our own church. In our own families.
So let me ask you:
What fences have you built that need to become bridges?
Where is God calling you to choose reconciliation over resentment?
Building bridges isn’t easy. It takes humility. It takes grace. But it’s the very thing Jesus prayed for before he laid down his life.
And how do we begin? Well I would suggest we need to forgive quickly. Don’t let small things grow into deep divisions.
We must love deeply. Not just in words, but in how you serve and care for others.
And pray for unity. Not just for others, but starting with your own heart.
Unity doesn’t mean we’ll all think the same or vote the same or worship the same way. It means that above all things, we choose love. We choose relationship over being right. We choose the cross over our own pride.
And when the world sees that? When they see people of different ages, backgrounds, opinions, and cultures united in Christ?
Then they will know.
Then they will believe.
Let us be that kind of church. Let the Church be known - not for its fences - but for its bridges.Let’s answer Jesus’ prayer. Let’s be bridge builders.