complicated is good

My life involves a journey that flows from a very conservative/fundamentalist background. In my childhood and through my college training I was exposed to very sound theological teachings. The theological approach of fundamentalism, and quite frankly liberalism was about the same.
keep it simple.
Boiled theology down to its lowest common denominator. Build upon that foundation a theological house.
For the fundamentalists it was based on Biblical facts. For the liberal it was based on experience. But for both it was a foundation that involve being right. If we are right then all those who disagree must be wrong, and if they're wrong and we have a responsibility to show them the right way.

Over time and specifically in the last 10 years my journey has moved me away from this simplistic approach to theology.yes I would say it's far more complicated and that is good.

let me illustrate by using this simple concept.
When I was growing up the idea of being good was illustrated by not doing anything wrong. Not being wrong was being good.
As this translated into adulthood and infiltrated my theology being good meant making sure I wasn't doing anything wrong. Then helping others be good was showing them where they were wrong so they could be good like me. :-)
being good then also meant I had to be right because by definition I couldn't be wrong about what was good, which meant I had to be right. I was right because I knew what was wrong and anybody who didn't know that they were wrong had to be bad and it was my job to help them be good and right.
So I used my gifts and talents to help others understand where they were wrong, both practically and spiritually. This activity of course made me good and right in my simple little mind.

But being good is not just removing what is wrong it's also doing what is right/good and often that means taking risks and being willing to fail. And the concept of failure is not wrong because in doing good, taking risks, there is no failure only a continuing opportunity. So when I would see people fail I would assume that meant that they were wrong because God would not allow anyone to fail if what they were truly doing was good.
Now I understand that failure is just part of the journey so in reality, a more complicated reality, there is no failure, failure as I understood it before is not wrong, or a judgment of God upon someone but rather the opportunity to walk with God down the path that he is leading. It's the opportunity to continue to take the risk, or go against the odds.

Telling people that they're wrong in order to make myself good only points to my ignorance and arrogance. Not that there is no right or wrong it's just more complicated.
And complicated is good.