Jesus was a thrilling, relatable new kind of God, a simple peasant who suffered the agonizing pain and humiliation of crucifixion. This radical new religion erased all hierarchies of power, seeing everyone as equal in the Lord, with immense dignity, even women and slaves.
In a mean, chaotic world, early Christians quickly became famous as a loving family with no poor. They took in orphans and widows, ministering to anyone sick even during pandemics, and feeding the poor, whether Christian or not.