This is a story of
something that happened just a few years ago at a college. There
was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeply committed
atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the
entire semester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His
students were always afraid to argue with him because of his
impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taught this class and
no one had ever had the courage to go against him. Sure, some had
argued in class at times, but no one had ever really gone against
him because of his 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 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
ground 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
onto the tile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a
hundred pieces. All of the students would do nothing but stop and
stare. Most of the students thought that God couldn't exist.
Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through the class,
but for 20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up.
Well, a few years ago there was a freshman who happened to
enroll. He was a Christian, and had heard the stories about the
professor. He was required to take the class for his major, but
he was afraid. For three months that semester, he prayed every
morning that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what
the professor said, or what the class thought. Nothing they said
could ever shatter his faith...he hoped.
Finally, the day came. The professor said, "If there is
anyone in here who still believes in God, stand up!"
The professor and the class of 300 people looked at him, shocked,
as he stood up at the back of the classroom. The professor
shouted, "You FOOL!!! If God existed, He would keep this
piece of chalk from breaking when it hits the ground!" The
professor proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, it slipped
out of his fingers, off his shirt cuff, onto the pleat of his
pants, down his leg, and off of his shoe. As it hit the ground,
it simply rolled away, unbroken. The professor's jaw dropped as
he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man, and then
ran out of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood,
proceeded to walk to the front of the room and shared his faith
in Jesus for the next half-hour. All of the 300 students stayed
and listened as he told them of God's love for them, and of his
power through Jesus.