I think my wife needs a wheel alignment. When we go for a walk around the block, I’ve found that I have to walk on her righthand side, otherwise she keeps bumping into me. Maybe it’s just Newton’s law of universal gravitation. Or perhaps it could be the natural camber of the road. Maybe I’m the one who needs the alignment! (Or maybe, just maybe, she just likes to be near me.) 

It’s also possible to be a bit out of alignment in the Christian walk. Paul thought it necessary to remind Timothy about the danger of bias in church leadership: ‘Keep these instructions without partiality, and do nothing out of favouritism’. And Paul himself at Antioch had to correct Peter’s misalignment when Peter wobbled to the left during the visit of some power-figures from Jerusalem. And the Book of Proverbs is huge in this area of walking straight and speaking truth and fearing God. 

There are many reasons for expressing bias. Sometimes through fear and intimidation. Sometimes through the desire to be liked by all. Sometimes as a means to a selfish end. Sometimes to flatter others. Sometimes by giving into sinful temptation. Sometimes through miscalculation. But the love of the Spirit that convicts us is holy and true. And the grace of the Spirit that repairs us is good and able. And the Word of the Spirit that steers us is unbiased and camber-free. And the Spirit who does all these things, does indeed like to be near us.