Introduction/Preface/Thingy: Theology

I suppose it would be best for me to give an introduction to this blog. Although I am “publishing” what is written here in the format of a blog, understand that this is not really intended for everyone. Anyone, of course, can read it, but this is not written for everyone. This is really for me. It is what I believe, the truth as I see it, if you will. When this project began, it was with the simple idea of laying out my theology in a clear, logical, consistent way that I could understand and use. It was for me to make sense of what I believed, if you will. An extended purpose was for me to root out any errors and problems that are in my belief structure. In so far as that goal is concerned, it has largely been accomplished.
But as I studied and wrote, this document became more than just a series of beliefs, a la What Adventists' Believe, it became a picture, a reality. I found myself beginning to understand God more and actually form a real picture of what he is like. By studying abstract philosophies and ideas, God ironically became more real to me.
The reasoning behind this is simple: everyone is a theologian, plain and simple. You may not have a degree or be a pastor, but that does not make you any less of a theologian. What makes you a theologian is that you have a belief about God. Everybody does, whether you believe that everything is God and God is everything or that there are lots of separate Deities or that God is one and involved in this earth, or that God is real, but doesn't care, or you're not sure, or that you don't believe in God at all, you have a belief about God. That is the definition of theology. So, if you have a theology, then you are a theologian.
What are theologies? As stated above, they are beliefs about God, what God is like. Again, as stated above, everybody has them, whether they are aware of it or not. These beliefs shape our actions, our minds, and our lives. These beliefs we have form a picture of God, one that we respond to in one way or another. The picture I am beginning (for I am far from done studying God) to see is one so amazing, so awesome, one cannot help but fall in love with God. He is that cool. So the question is why is it that so many people complain about "too much theology"?
The answer is simple, I believe. People have not taken the time to study it out for themselves, to understand what they really believe. Instead, they sit and absorb all that people around them say about God, like spiritual parasites. In the end, they end up with a bunch of pieces, instead of taking the time to form them into a real, cohesive picture of God. For them, it is like looking at the pieces of a puzzle scattered throughout the room, but not putting them together to form the picture. It's dry, boring, and, frankly, useless. No wonder people get turned off when others start discussing "theology".
But the problem is not theology, it is the people who do not study it out themselves, Instead of embracing the challenge the puzzle brings, they choose to walk away. In the end, they miss seeing the picture. It is sad, on a deep and profound level.
Now understand, theologies are not God himself. They are snippets of what God is like, but not God himself. Theologies are peoples beliefs about God. As such, they can be wrong. When theology is wrong, it is like trying to put a piece of the puzzle in the wrong place, or choosing to leave a piece out, or using a piece from another puzzle. It messes up the picture, doesn't it?
What does this mean? It means that we must be careful what we believe. So many people get confused and warped images of God because they believe wrong theology. As such, they end up confused and walk away from God altogether. There is great destructive power in wrong theologies.
However, just as there is great destructive power in wrong theologies, there is great power in correct theologies. When the pieces fit, we get a clear glimpse of how amazing God is. It drives us to him, the real him. The beauty of true theology is that it allows us to develop and aides us in developing a real, vibrant relationship with the real, living God.
Whether we want to admit it or not, there is truth and there is error. Error leads us down a path away from God, whereas truth leads us to him.