There was a professor of philosophy 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
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, 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 his professor. He was required to take the class for
his major, and he was afraid. But 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 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 hit the ground!"
He 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 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. 300 students stayed and listened as he told of
God's love for them and of His power through Jesus Christ
Our Lord.
