It takes guts to say Jesus. This is a true story of something
that happened just a few years ago at USC. There was a professor
of philosophy there, who was a deeply committed aethist.
His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entire semester
attempting to prove that God could not exist.
His students were always afraid to argue with him because of
his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he taught this class
and no one ever had the courage to go against
his views. Sure, some had argued in class at times,
but no one had ever really gone against him (you'll see what I mean
later) Nobody would go against him because he had a
reputation.
At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his
class of 300 students "IF THERE IS ANYONE HERE WHO STILL BELIEVES IN JESUS,
STAND UP!!"
In twenty years no one had ever stood up. They all knew
what he was going to do next. He would say, "BECAUSE ANYONE
WHO BELIEVES IN GOD IS A FOOL. IF GOD EXISTED, HE COULD STOP
THIS PIECE OF CHALK FROM HITTING THE FLOOR AND BREAKING. SUCH
A SIMPLE TASK TO PROVE THAT HE IS GOD,
AND YET HE CAN'T DO IT!"
And every year, he would drop the chalk on to the tile floor
and every year it would shatter into hundreds of pieces. All of the
students could do nothing but stare. Most of the students were convinced
that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped
through but had been too afraid to stand up.
A few years ago, there was a freshman who happened to get enrolled
in the class. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about
this professor.
He had to take the class because it was required class for his major,
and he was afraid. But for three months that semester, he had prayed
every morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what
the professor said or that class thought.
Finally the day came. The professor said, "IF THERE IS ANYONE
HERE WHO STILL BELIEVES IN GOD, THEN LET HIM STAND NOW!!"
As the freshman stood up, the rest of the class and the professor looked
at him in awe. "YOU FOOL!! IF GOD EXISTED, HE CAN KEEP THIS
PIECE OF CHALK FROM BREAKING WHEN IT HITS THE GROUND!!"
He then proceeded to drop the chalk, But as he did, it
slipped out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto
the pleats of his pants, down his leg and off onto his
shoe. As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, not broken.
The professor jaw dropped as he stared at the chalk. He then
looked at the freshman and then ran out of the lecture hall.
The freshman proceeded to walk to the front of the room and share
his faith in Jesus for the next half hour.
300 students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and
his power through Jesus. "Yet to all who received him, to those who
believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God,
children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or of husband's
will, but born of God."
"But he knows the way that I take. When he has tested me, I will come
forth as gold." Job 23:10