Jesus went back to the Father / The Holy Spirit arrived / The church burst into being / Persecution erupted. For the next three decades, life for disciples of Jesus was ecstatic, challenging, terrifying, discouraging – all at the same time. It was only then, approximately 25-30 years later, that the accounts and letters we know as the books of the New Testament, were written. It was likely that those early years were so demanding that no one had the energy to reflect, to concentrate, to envision the future. Staying focused on joy gradually revealed itself as being of the utmost importance.