Recognize what is in your sight, and what is hidden will become clear to you.
– Jesus, the Gospel of Thomas
I will admit. Sometimes I just do not get what Jesus says.
But what I do get is that he challenges us to see things in a new way. A new way which is beautiful. A new way that we never considered before. A new way that might turn our current world upside down but for the better.
If I recognize what is in my sight, what is hidden will now be clear to me. Perhaps Jesus wishes to challenge me to be more present to what is right in front of me.
If I am in a room with my kids and I watch tv or read my book, perhaps Jesus invites me to take some time to stop my focus on the tv show or my book and focus on them. Talk to them. Ask them questions. Joke around with them. Play a game with them. Listen to them. Hug them. Love them. What will they teach me? What will it teach them?
I am at work. I am in a meeting with my boss and her staff. She asks for a volunteer for an assignment. We are all very busy and remain silent. She can hear birds chirp. Perhaps Jesus wants me to volunteer. When I volunteer, something new will become clear to me. I will gain a new experience. A new door will open for me. A potential new job opportunity might become available. I will learn new skill sets. I will never know until I volunteer.
What is it that you fear? Perhaps Jesus invites you to try it. When you try it, a new world will open up to you. It will no longer be hidden.
Perhaps Jesus challenges us to simply love others. Take a chance. Talk to a stranger. Help a stranger. It will open up a new world for both you and the stranger.
Jesus, I pray that each day that as I perform my different tasks – work, family, community, personal, volunteer, and so on, that I am present to what it is that you want me to do. I have an agenda but perhaps you have a better one. Help me be more present and open to what it is that you wish for me so that it is no longer hidden.
Amen.
Go Further:
Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas by Elaine Pagels
The Wisdom Jesus: Transforming Heart and Mind–A New Perspective on Christ and His Message by Cynthia Bourgeault
The Gospel of Thomas: The Gnostic Wisdom of Jesus by Jean-Yves Leloup
The Gospel of Thomas by Cynthia Bourgeault: This e-course, “The Gospel of Thomas with Cynthia Bourgeault,” is a complete “Thomas starter kit”: everything you need to know to get you up and running with this remarkable text, plus a generous sampling of its most important sayings, arranged thematically so that they speak to issues that contemporary spiritual seekers are actually dealing with.
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