Those Old Testament (OT) laws are beyond my ability to reconcile with the concept of a loving God, maybe a Rabbi could explain it but not me.

When you talk about doing away with the law, there is a difference between the law as represented in the OT and the laws as God intended. It is the latter which are not done away with, the former are of men (obviously I don't take them literally, though I know many do).

I readily admit I do not have all the answers, and I don't know anyone who does. What I do know is that "Love Thy Neighbor" includes everyone, and I believe those three words are the crux of the entire New Testament.