In Search of the Universal Christ

After reading and reflecting on Universal Christ, I had a paradigm shift in my beliefs. I began to see Catholic doctrine and teachings with new eyes. My Christian beliefs shifted from the old Catholic paradigm to a new paradigm—one that included a cosmic, universal Christ. I shifted from my past beliefs to a new set of beliefs. These included shifting • from a view of being born with original sin to being born with original goodness; • from the belief that Jesus died for our sins to the belief that Jesus Christ died to show God’s outpouring love for us and, through his resurrection, transform us into the Body of Christ; • from a view of retributive justice to a restorative justice framework; • from seeing a judging, punitive God to a loving, forgiving God; • from seeing sin as shameful and something to be avoided to seeing sin as a deviation from Christ’s path that is a fact of life and provides teaching moments for spiritual growth and transformation; • from a personal, tribal, and exclusive God to a universal, cosmic God who includes all things and loves all things, not just earthlings; and • from a goal of working toward going to heaven to creating and growing a transforming relationship with God and experiencing heaven on earth.