Honest questions about Jesus, asked in Columbus.

Columbus has large churches, house gatherings, campus ministries, and plenty of people who want nothing to do with any of them. Jesus still asks the same thing: follow Him. That means daily self-denial, costly forgiveness, open tables, truth, baptism, and active love. A sinner’s prayer cannot replace the response Peter gave in Acts 2.

Ohio State shapes the northwest side, while state government anchors downtown and logistics work stretches toward the outer belt. Columbus also receives refugees and immigrants from Somalia, Bhutan, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and elsewhere. Housing costs have risen unevenly. Some neighborhoods have easy access to groceries and parks; others do not. COTA routes, school schedules, and winter weather matter when a group claims it wants everyone at the table.

Columbus keeps adding apartments, warehouses, students, and new neighbors. The Short North version of the city is only one slice. Linden, the Hilltop, Franklinton, the South Side, Northland, and Eastmoor carry different stories and different pressures.

A follower of Jesus learns the names close by. We gather around small tables, read His words, share food, baptize believers, and put love to work during the week. Nobody takes an offering or earns a salary.