In our society today there are so many misperceptions floating around about God, Sin, and Jesus. God isn’t a judge or a genie. God is personal. Jesus isn’t just an ancient Jew. Jesus is God with, among, and in us. And sin isn’t something we do when we misbehave. Sin is our Scrawny, Insufficient Nature. We all fall short, not because we’re bad but because we’re human, and all human beings are equal; no one is better or worse. We’re all flawed. We’re all imperfect, and we’re all loved anyway just for being who we are. That’s the good news of the gospel in a nutshell. And, most important, the grace of the Holy Spirit flows through us to impower us to connect directly with God so our flesh can be Jesus to the people in our lives. This explanation is the sum of my faith. I don’t push it off on anyone, and I don’t try to make anyone else believe what I do. I don’t see why anyone wouldn’t want to. We’re free to be happy, to be kind, to love others, and to enjoy our lives. What other message could possibly be better than that?