If there was a God who loved all people, what would he expect of his followers? He would not require them to visit a certain place, for that would exclude the poor who were far away. He would not expect them to adopt a special manner of dress, for that would be an unnecessary burden in some cultures. He would not require his words to be read in one language for he would want to include people of every language. He would not impose dietary laws that would be difficult for people in various areas to meet. He would make the elements of ceremonies simple and readily available such as water, bread, and wine. He would make his message simple enough that children could understand it. He would instruct those who already knew him to spread the good news of his message of life to those who have not heard it. There is such a God and the faith is Christian. It may seem loosely structured to those in other faiths but that is necessary to make it available to all. 

I told my followers to go into all the world and proclaim the good news of the gospel message. You refer to this as the Great Commission. Those with a special gift for this task are called evangelists, but the assignment is to every believer. Do you think that evangelism involves speaking only? Could it also involve listening? You need a receptive audience for evangelism to be effective. How eager are you to listen to people who won’t listen to you? It does no harm to the message of the gospel for you to listen to the stories of the people you encounter, and it may open the door for them to listen to your words of life. 

Do you believe in me? You use this term in a specific spiritual sense, but also in everyday speech. Saying, ‘I believe that is true’ implies a step removed from things you know as firsthand knowledge. The Bible invites you to believe in me, but I also said at the end of my earthly ministry that this is life eternal, that you may know the One True God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent. Things that you believe on the basis of convincing evidence are still indirect and second hand. My invitation to you is to relationship, that you may know the things you have believed. Come taste and see that the Lord is good. 

Do you see equality as an essential human right, necessary for a just and fair society? Do you see those who see themselves as being treated as less than equal grasping to obtain equality? Equality sounds appealing but it turns out to be a slippery concept if you try to pin it down. No two people are the same, so you have to modify the definition of equality to apply it to them. Who would have a stronger claim on equality than me with the Father? Yet I did not consider equality a thing to be grasped but humbled myself and took on human form. Neither do you need to grasp for equality.