Bus theory

Forgive me for a slightly more morbid musing than usual – maybe it’s because I recently finished reading The Fault in Our Stars. But I have a theory, which I have just nicknamed ‘bus theory’, which inspires the way I see the world and the way I make decisions.

The theory goes, quite simply, that you can’t bank on anything definitely happening to you, or not. You can make reasonably informed guesses and you can weigh up odds and memorise statistics, but ultimately, you can’t know for sure, because you’re not in control. You might get hit by a bus tomorrow (hence the name of the theory). The world might come to an end – and no one knows when that will be, not even Jesus (see Matthew 24:36).

There are some pretty big implications of bus theory to the way I live.

Bus theory asks that when I make decisions, I base them not on assumptions that my life will pan out in Cinderella fashion. 

Bus theory prevents me from making conventional choices just because they are statistically safer.

Bus theory leaves me free to marry Prince Charming even if the likelihood is he will die before me. (Bus theory actually means I can marry Shrek or the Hunchback of Notre Dame, because I can’t guarantee that tomorrow I won’t be in the same boat.)

Bus theory makes me feel better about not always managing to eat my five-a-day.

But bus theory also means being ready to face what comes. Worrying less about what might happen to me tomorrow, because I have no authority over that. Worrying less about the future altogether, because I know that my ultimate destiny is to be with Jesus forever.