Recognize what is in front of your face, and what is concealed will be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed. – Gospel of Thomas
My Brothers and Sisters. We are gathered here today in our wonderful community, not to talk about what’s out there in the wide world, but what’s right here, in our very own lives. We’re going to talk about Vision. Not the kind you need to read the morning paper, but the kind you need to live a full life.
Our wisdom for today comes from a simple, yet profound passage from the Gospel of Thomas. It tells us: “Recognize what is in front of your face, and what is concealed will be revealed to you. For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed.”
Now, that’s a powerful idea. It sounds like something out of a detective novel, but it’s really about Good Old-Fashioned Common Sense and Plain Hard Work.
In this marvelous, modern age, we’ve got so many things competing for our attention. We’re so busy chasing the next promotion, the next big appliance, or the next vacation, that we suffer from what I call “Tunnel Vision”.
We are looking so far down the road at some grand, abstract future that we completely miss the Golden Opportunities parked right on our driveway.
You’re praying for a better job, but you haven’t taken the time to truly see the colleague next to you who could use a helping hand or a kind word.
You’re wishing for a more harmonious family, but you haven’t recognized the patience and listening ear your spouse or children need right now.
You want to be a success in this town, but you haven’t acknowledged the simple needs of your neighbor’s garden or the local school drive.
You see, the great mystery of life isn’t hidden behind some velvet curtain. It’s concealed by your own distractions. The scripture tells us to “Recognize what is in front of your face.” The solution to your problem, the path to your fulfillment, is not ahead of you, but all around you.
But recognizing isn’t passive. It requires effort. It requires you to stop, to put down the magazine, to turn off the television, and to look with honest eyes at your circumstances.
When you recognize the weariness in your own heart, that’s when the concealed secret of Rest is revealed.
When you recognize the unmet need of your community, that’s when the concealed secret of Purpose is revealed.
When you recognize the daily blessing of a clean shirt and a warm meal, that’s when the concealed secret of Gratitude—the key to true happiness—is revealed.
The passage promises us, “what is concealed will be revealed to you.” This isn’t magic. It’s a natural consequence. If you refuse to see the small, important things, the big, necessary things will forever remain a mystery. But when you honestly confront what is directly before you—the debts, the opportunities, the responsibilities—the path forward will simply appear. The fog lifts because you finally stopped staring up at the clouds and you looked down at your own two feet.
And finally, we have the great assurance: “For there is nothing hidden that will not be disclosed.”
This is a promise of integrity for the whole world. It means that whether it’s a small dishonesty in your accounts, a secret bitterness you hold against your brother, or a generous act of charity you performed in private—it will all eventually come into the light.
This shouldn’t fill us with dread. It should fill us with courage.
It means the good work you do when no one is watching. The kindness you show to an elderly neighbor. The hours you spend perfecting your craft. That effort counts. It’s an investment that will be paid back with interest in the visible realm of your life. The truth of who you are, the contents of your character—good or bad—will be revealed in the final accounting.
So let’s stop sweeping things under the rug. Let’s stop pretending everything is fine when it isn’t. Let’s start with the things we can see and touch today.
Let’s go home and recognize the dishes in the sink, the thank you note we forgot to write, and the potential we’ve been neglecting in ourselves. Let’s do the work that is in front of our face, and I promise you, that the bright, rewarding future you’ve been hoping for will suddenly unfold—it will be revealed to you.
Let us be the generation that truly sees the moment we are in, and by doing so, brings true honor and success to our families and our community.
Amen
