“But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds, declares the Lord.” - Jeremiah 30:17

Two years ago, I had a dental implant and vividly remember my dentist saying, “Wounds heal quickly when there is good blood flow, along with infection control, and overall health.” And indeed, in less than three months, my gum was healed, and I could hardly believe that a metal screw was embedded there.

As I reflected on my dentist’s words, Taylor Swift’s song came to mind: “Band-Aids don’t fix bullet holes.” Perhaps it is our human defensive instinct to hasten and affix a band-aid to stop the immediate bleeding. Yet, deep wounds require much more care, attention, and intentionality for true healing. They need a steady blood flow. They need nutrients such as protein, vitamins, and minerals. They need a sterile environment free of infection. They need the strength of a healthy immune system. Only then can true healing take place.

Isn’t it the same in our personal and professional lives? We, too, are in dire need of “blood flow,” a constant circulation of what nourishes the soul: encouragement, prayer, forgiveness, love, and truth. We need safe spaces where spiritual and emotional wounds can be cleansed and healed. And in our professional callings, we also need the nutrients of vision, mission, values, the discernment of our calling, and the clarity of purpose that sustains us when challenges wound our resolve.

Just as the body cannot heal without life-giving blood, our spirits cannot heal without the life-giving presence of Christ, whose blood was poured out for us. Only in Him do we find the circulation of grace that restores, strengthens, and makes us whole again. And the same is true for our institutions and communities. They, too, require this sacred circulation of grace: a rediscovery of mission, a renewal of vision, a re-centering on values to recover from their wounds and rise with strength, integrity, and hope.

Through the mouth of the Prophet Jeremiah, the Lord declares, “But I will restore you to health and heal your wounds.” Therefore, in these challenging times, let us place our trust in God’s unfailing promise and allow Him to lift us from our wounds into wholeness and healing.