Read Time: 5 min 59 sec | Reading Level: 6th Grade

U.S. NEWS

Guilty

Last week, a jury found former President Trump guilty of a crime. It’s the first time a U.S. president has been convicted of a crime.

His crime is a little complicated. Long story short: the court said he falsified business records to influence the 2016 election. 

Americans are divided. Trump said the trial was “rigged” and “disgraceful.” Meanwhile, President Biden defended the courts, saying it’s “dangerous” to say the decision is rigged just because you don’t like it. Roughly half the country believes the trial was fair, and half believes it was unfair.

The court will decide Mr. Trump’s punishment on July 11th. Prison time seems unlikely because Trump is a 77-year-old first-time offender. The judge could also put the former president on probation or make him pay a fine. 

No matter what happens, Mr. Trump can continue to run for president. A poll found that if the election were held now, 41% of voters would support Biden, and 39% would support Trump. That’s close enough to be considered a statistical tie.

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CHRISTIAN PERSPECTIVE
This verdict is big world news but small eternal news. We shouldn't allow this (or any other trial) to consume our thoughts, direct our emotions, or dull our hope. God is not shaken or surprised; our job as his followers has not changed: love God and love others.

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever.”
Hebrews 13:8 (CSB) (read full passage)

How can I model loving an enemy when discussing this story?
Jesus commanded his followers to love their enemies (and neighbors, fellow believers, and, well… everyone). That includes people who disagree with you on the Trump verdict.

Luke 6 says, “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them… But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High” (6:32, 35 CSB). 

When Luke writes that loving enemies means we’re children of God, he doesn’t mean that we earn a spot in God’s family. No, when we love others — even those who don’t love us — we show that we are like God. And in a world with so much anxiety and hopelessness surrounding news like the Trump verdict, showing others what God is like is a breath of fresh air.

What might my kids misunderstand about this story?
Love ≠ approval. 

The Luke passage goes on to say that we’ll be like God when we love our enemies “because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked” (6:35 CSB). That means God loves people even when he doesn’t approve of what they’re doing.

Loving and praying for people who disagree with us doesn’t mean that we don’t care about truth or justice. God does, and we do, too. But loving others means we extend compassion and patience, even when we think they’re wrong so that they see Christ in us.

• Discuss a situation in your life where you want to show love to another person (or people) even though you disagree with what they’re doing. What could that look like practically?
   

• Memorize Luke 6:35, “But love your enemies, do what is good, and lend, expecting nothing in return. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High. For he is gracious to the ungrateful and evil” (CSB).
   

• Pray for those who disagree with you about the former president’s trial, for our nation’s leaders, and for Christians to represent our Father well.

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“A Parent's Guide to Summer” by Axis*

Between all the slang and pop-culture references, sometimes it’s hard enough to even understand what our teens are saying, let alone influence them as disciples of Jesus.

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