sins cut the string

One of the disconcerting -- and delightful -- teachings of the Master was:  "God is closer to sinners than to saints."

This is how he explained it:  "God in heaven holds each person by a string. When you sin, you cut the string. Then God ties it up again, making a knot -- and thereby bringing you a little closer to him.  Again and again your sins cut the string and with each additional knot, God keeps drawing you closer and closer."