In this reading, Paul is describing his journey of faith. Before his encounter and subsequent conversion, Paul thought he had arrived. He was born into the right family, he’d dedicated his life to doing everything right according to the standards of his Jewish traditions, and because of that, felt justified in the persecution of Christians. It is that attitude of self-righteousness and pride that he is referring to as “rubbish,” rather than his heritage and upbringing.
His encounter with Christ took pride out of the equation and helped him to see that the past is the foundation upon which we build a future that is informed by how we live in the present. Many times, we get so caught up in nostalgia for the past or in longing for the future that we ignore the gift of today.
Each day this week, commit yourself to learning something new, to finding joy in something small, and to offering a kind word, knowing that it might just help someone else have a better “today”.
