My first brush with the police was as a seven-year-old.

My mother was publicly cautioned for allowing me to ride on a deserted pavement instead of in the busy main road beside it.  I was mortified.

More recently my belief in the inherent goodness of the police force has been somewhat dented by revelations about racism.  But I still want them around.

A few years ago I was trying to help a needy man here in St Albans.

One day he was on my doorstep, shouting, violent.  I was scared enough to dial 999.

They sent a young lady about half his size.  It took her mere seconds to have him bundled into her patrol car.

I still marvel at her cucumber-cool bravery and skill.

So when I hear that St Albans is to lose its police station front desk next week I am uneasy. 

Apparently we don’t use it enough to justify its costs and in these days of government cuts .... you know how this goes on.

But there are enough people around who shout obscenities outside our houses at 2 am., steal our online identities or send threatening tweets.

Or managers who lie to their workforce or those who simply forget a few bits on their tax returns.  Lawlessness affects us all.

The Bible describes all people as lawless, falling far short of God’s absolute standards.

Amazingly, he himself in Jesus took the death penalty we all deserve. 

Our falling short must matter a very great deal.

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