My theology, as I understand it today

1. God loves -- me, you, the people I don't want to love -- no matter what.
2. God loves Hitler as much as God loves Mother Theresa. In other words, we cannot earn God's love by our actions. Neither can we stop God from loving us.
3. I'm meant to love other people and to act in loving ways towards others, even if the others are very different from me.
4. Heaven is not a place to go after a person dies, but it exists here and now.
5. I'm not sure I believe in a place called hell, any more than I believe in a place called heaven.
6. I believe there is evil and sometimes I substitute the word hell for evil. Often we make our own hells.
7. Why did Jesus come? I believe it was to show us humans how to live.
8. I don't believe Jesus died because of my sins. Yes, I sin, but I don't think a loving God would require anyone to die because of that. I'm still trying to figure this out.
9. So what's the purpose of Jesus' crucifixion? and resurrection?
10. My picture of God is not the same as anyone else's, but that doesn't make my way of seeing God either better or worse than the way another person sees God. Just different.
11. God means for us to love one another and to do what we can to make life better for one another. This means we need to consider both our individual and group actions. As an example, it is important to feed the person who is hungry, but it is equally important to support public policies that help all people to be adequately fed.
12. I love God. I need God in my life every moment.
13. God created and creates all things. Creation didn't happen only as described in Genesis 1, but creation happens every day.
14. God is still talking to people. The Bible is a recording God's interactions with people years ago. But, the stories continue today.
15. God is Creator, Jesus Christ and Spirit. Spirit is especially hard to understand because of the moldable nature.
16. Each day, I remember the words of the prophet Micah. "And what does the Lord require of you?"
17. Prayer connects me with God. I often pray by reciting the scriptures (memory verses) that I learned as a child and considering what that verse can mean in my life today.
18. Prayer may not change a situation, but it may change the way I look at the situation.
19. God works through people just like me, full of goodness and fault. It's just possible that I can be God to another person.
20. God has many names.
    
    I think this is all for now.