God is Love

Before I came to college, I heard of the belief that some people have in which every religion is the correct religion. When I first heard that, i thought it was insane. But I can easily understand why people would believe it, and I'm having a hard time not believing it myself. Most religions preach love and peace. Christianity, Buddhism, Islam, Judiasm, Hinduism, etc. When you really look at what each one believes, it revolves around loving your God and loving/taking care of those around you. Muslims even believe that they worship the same god of Christianity. Which, it's hard for me to not believe that, either. Then I think about the statement in 1 John which says, "God is love." It doesn't say, "God has love" or "God loves everyone" but it says, "God IS love". The way I understand that is that God is the epitome of Love. If God = love does love = God? Gandhi wasn't a Christian but he followed God and loved and lived how I believe God wants us to live. So if Gandhi lived out love in a radical way, did he not then, in a sense, live out God? The Christian God? Because, God is love. God isn't a certain kind of love. God IS love. But then I'm reminded of the words of Jesus: "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No man comes to the Father except through me." So, in order to meet God, to commune with God, one must believe that Jesus is the Son of God, right? That's how I understand it. And this is where the conflict is born. If God is love and there are many non Christians who live amazingly Christian lives (much more so than most "christians"), are they still not in communion with God? Do you have to believe that Jesus is the Son of God in order to be "saved"? And I'm not talking about just "good" people. I know that there are alot of good people in the world that aren't in communion with God. I'm specifically talking about those of other religions who worship one god, love him, love others unconditionally, believe in forgiveness and reconciliation, and help the needy in the name of Love -- in the name of their god. Is that not my God, too? Is that not God? God is love. I do not understand.