Love it or hate it ...

... and no, I'm not talking about Marmite (this time)!  Of course, any time could be Marmite-time!  And, as regular readers of the blog will remember, I'm something of a Marmite fan.
The "love it or hate it" of today is another piece of fruit ... the series has at least five more days to run as the fresh items from yesterday's shopping are lined up in the refrigerator waiting for a turn on 365Project!  All this without going into the different varieties of apples, tomatoes and oranges that are available.  There have been two pears only although the melons did multiply ... Watermelon, Galia, Honeydew, Toad Skin ... and there's a Cantaloupe lurking in the wings.
Today's photograph was of a fruit that can be nasty tasting and leave you with a "furry" sensation in your mouth ... or it can be sweet and tender with a slightly aromatic flavour.  It is the Sharon fruit which is imported from Israel.

It is a persimmon and known as "the fruit of the gods".  (The Greek term is Diospyros = the wheat of Zeus.)
One of my friends thought that it was an "alien tomato" but there are no similarities other than (perhaps) in shape!
Unripe berries (for it is a true berry) contain a lot of tannin and have a bitter taste.  I've eaten those in the past and generally avoid the fruit altogether.  This one, bought to photograph, was perfect.  The man on the checkout asked me what it is like and I confessed that I don't always enjoy it but had simply bought it for a picture!  His slightly raised eyebrow may have indicated that he thought his customer was just a little bit mad!
In texture it is not unlike that of the Papaya but the flavour is unique.  Some say that it is a cross between a date and a plum in flavour ... but it is always difficult to describe something for another person.  The best solution is to taste it for yourself.
Now there's another sermon topic!  A person needs to experience the love of God for himself or herself really to know what it means.  Once you've experienced it ... then you know what other people were talking about!
 There is a famous Chinese painting of the thirteenth century by Mu Qi of Six Persimmons.  Art critics remark on the skilfully mottled background and the variety of strokes in the blue-black fruits.

 China is by far the main producer of the fruit.
Today is the feast day of Saint Mary Magdalene ... so here's the prayer for today.

Almighty God, 
whose Son restored Mary Magdalene 
to health of mind and body 
and called her to be a witness to his resurrection: 
Forgive our sins and heal us by your grace, 
that we may serve you in the power of his risen life; 
who is alive and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, 
one God, now and for ever.

Book of Common Prayer.