What gave Jesus the courage to challenge the status quo, reach out to people whom others excluded, say controversial things, perform miracles, call people to follow him, challenge those in power and ultimately face a tortuous death? Perhaps we might chalk it up to him being fully God (as well as fully human). But somehow he managed to instil in his followers that same kind of courage, that energised the early church and even led many of them to martyrdom. So what was their secret? We know that a big part of the answer was the Holy Spirit. After his resurrection, Jesus instructed the disciples not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for the Holy Spirit. The boldness and creativity that seized them when the Holy Spirit descended is what launched the church. And that relationship, that trust in an ever-present God, is what makes a courageous life possible. In our first Open Me season our writers explore what it means to learn to trust Jesus, in an active, practical sense, even when we’re most aware of our weakness and fear.