If all roads lead to eternal and complete communion with God, the rather limited and comparatively brief time we spend here is trivial to the point of insignificance. In terms of "damage" if all roads DON'T lead to eternal and complete communion with God what we do here and now has great bearing on whether we receive that communion for eternity, or something else altogether. As for reincarnation, it is, by definition, post mortem so, meh.

No, I don't think the gospels only value is that it contains all that's necessary for salvation. I do, however, think its chief value lies in testifying the glory of God, and containing all that's necessary for salvation the chief way it does so. At its heart, the gospel is about God doing the impossible, sacrificing Himself in the carnal flesh to satisfy the dual demands of Absolute Love and Absolute Justice, neither of which he can deny and BE God. Salvation is undeniably involved in that, it's the fullest expression of Gods inestimable glory and the reason I think sin was allowed to come into being, but it remains very much a God centered thing to which man is subordinate.

The relationship with God Roland mentioned above is likewise about man not only accepting but rejoicing in that, but it also means that what we do now has lasting value in the hereafter rather than being a mere collection of things that God will "fix" or not as needed. We can take works out if it entirely if you like; I think they remain quite significant, but we can set that aside for the nonce: If nothing else the here and now matter because it is here and now that we have the opportunity to choose a relationship with God for His sake rather than our own, because it is right and pleasing to Him rather than on the basis of what we have to gain or lose and without being confronted with undeniable proof we literally cannot exist without Him. That's my ultimate problem with Universalism, the idea that once a person is shown his place in creation and sees his own need for God he'll inevitably accept it; not only do I dispute that that's always the case, else real free will would be impossible, but far more importantly it's not acting from love for God, but rather enlightened self interest.