For those of you who are around my age, you are likely familiar with a band called “The Police”. They are no longer together, and Sting, their former lead singer, has gone on to have a very successful solo career. I was listening to one of the songs from the Police the other day. It is called “Oh My God” and I considered some of the lyrics carefully. Here they are: Everyone I know is lonely With God so far away And my heart belongs to no one So now sometimes I pray Take the space between us Fill it up some way Take the space between us Fill it up, fill it up Oh my God you take the biscuit Treating me this way Expecting me to treat you well No matter what you say How can I turn the other cheek It’s black and bruised and torn I’ve been waiting Since the day that I was born, fill it up, fill it up, fill it up Take the space between us Fill it up some way Take the space between us Fill it up, fill it up, fill it up, fill it up, fill it up, fill it up Fat man in his garden Thin man at his gate My God you must be sleeping Wake up, it’s much too late I can imagine that there are a lot of people who do feel that God is distant, and want Him to draw close. Some of them feel probably feel that their life has been so bad that He owes them an explanation. Then, they look at all of the injustice in the world and think that God, if He is just at all, must be asleep. I expect that a person can feel pretty hopeless if they believe that God is asleep at the wheel, and that even if he woke up, it is much too late. I feel sorry for such people. I used to be like them. But God, in His grace, saved me, and showed me His truth, and now I see things from a whole different vantage point. I too used to think that God was distant, but when He saved me I learned that I was the one who was distant: “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, 2 in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. 3 All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our flesh[a] and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature deserving of wrath. 4 But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, 5 made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions—it is by grace you have been saved. 6 And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, 7 in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.11 Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (which is done in the body by human hands)— 12 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. 13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” Ephesians 2:1-13 I used to think that God was unjust, but then He saved me and I learned that He is perfectly just: “21 But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. 22 This righteousness is given through faith in[h] Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement,[i] through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” Romans 3:21-26 Indeed God has “filled up the space between us” and will deal with each transgression in a just manner. Still, I don’t blame Sting, or The Police for their viewpoint. How would they know these truths? Where would they find their comfort? To what philosopher or religious leader could they turn to get sufficient answers to these disturbing matters? None. This is why these next verses are so important: “for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”[f] 14 How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” Romans 10:13-15 So, should we listen to The Police? Well, not when it comes to a world-view, but I don’t mind their music. For Him, Rob