Would You Rather…?

I first met the ‘Would you rather…?’ questions as ludicrous choices that children asked: ‘Would you rather …lick a slug or kiss a frog?  …have huge hands and tiny feet or tiny hands and huge feet?

They then became more interesting choices ‘Would you rather …live in Hogwarts or Narnia? …be the best player in a losing team or the worst player in a winning team? …have five good friends or one best friend?’

Earlier this week we had the crème eggs debate; would you rather have eggs that are eggstraordinarily, eggstravagently eggspensive or would you rather go without?

After watching the excellent Bonnie and Clyde musical, the question was ‘Would you rather see the film or watch the stage show?’ (I haven’t read the book!)

Our local bridge stories continue to make the news. Here in Lowestoft our new bridge is exceedingly late but nearing completion; ten miles up the road in Great Yarmouth their new bridge was completed before ours, but it’s now broken and closed.

Would you rather have a bridge that’s incomplete, or one that’s broken?

I recall recent conversations that have considered… ‘Would you rather …be happily married and poor, or single and rich? …have problem children, or no children? …have a fit mind and a sick body or a sick mind and a fit body?’

Answers are often outside our control; in complex lives often there aren’t two straightforward alternatives. However, asking tough questions helps focus the mind, and reflect on our lives, and the lives of those around us.

I remember Jesus’ stories where he asked ‘Would you rather be …a self-righteous priest or a good Samaritan …a lost sheep or a found sheep …a wise man who built his house on the rock, or a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

I recognise that I can control my response to Jesus’ questions. I pray for honesty, wisdom and integrity as I continue to respond.