I’m a great fan of an app called ‘Streaks’ which reminds me of several things that I want to do every day, or once a week, or whenever. It reminded me today that I’m scheduled to write a blog. Also on the list, Monday to Friday, is a reminder to watch a video from the creators of the Daily Dose of Greek (another app, or you can find them at https://dailydoseofgreek.com/ ) who go through a New Testament text verse by verse helping the viewer understand what is going on with the words and the grammar. It’s a great resource, and it’s free.

Today’s text was Matthew 7:20 ἄρα γε ἀπὸ τῶν καρπῶν αὐτῶν ἐπιγνώσεσθε αὐτούς, ‘By their fruits you will know them.’ It confirmed what was going around in my head for today’s blog because this week saw the start of the first criminal trial ever of a former President of the United States. To mention the name Donald Trump is a ‘light the blue touch paper and stand well back’ moment, because no-one in my lifetime had generated so much strong feeling for and against. ‘Marmite character’ does not cover it.

There are things about DJT that are not in doubt and are a matter of public record. He has been married three times and cheated on all his wives; his dominant view of women is that they are sex objects – witness the infamous ‘Access Hollywood’ tape; he and his company have been found guilty by a jury in a criminal case for defrauding the government, with another civil judgment in process; there are four criminal indictments working their way through the court system, the first of which has just started in New York; he cheats at golf. There is much more that could be written, but this mustn’t turn into a rant.

Given the warning of Jesus, ‘by their fruits you will know them,’ what is most surprising about the MAGA base is that so many of their number would call themselves ‘Evangelical Christians.’ I think that the word ‘Evangelical’ is more theologically understood in the UK and more sociologically understood in the US. But at its heart, it is about being ‘gospel/good news people’ – sharing the good news of Jesus with those willing to listen.

To zoom out a bit and think about this disturbing situation in relation to those in the wider world who may be open to listening to the good news of Jesus, does the endorsement of Trump, with his obvious ‘fruits,’ help or hinder that mission of the Church? There is no doubt in my mind that it hinders the spread of the good news, because even those who would not consider themselves open to it are saying to Trump-supporting Christians, ‘How can you support this man when he is so antithetical to the teaching of your founder?’ It is a very good question, because ‘by their fruits you will know them’!

Meanwhile, we all wait for the November election to see how it pans out. Ah, ‘Streaks’ has just reminded me about today’s blog – I can mark it completed.