It takes Guts to Say "Jesus"

This is a true story of something that happened just a few yearsago at USC. There was a professor of philosophy there who was a deeplycommitted atheist. His primary goal for one required class was to spend the entiresemester attempting to prove that God couldn't exist. His students werealways afraid to argue with him because of his impeccable logic. For twenty years, he had taughtthis 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 hadreally gone against him (you'll see what I mean later). Nobody would go against him because he had a reputation. At theend of every semester on the last day, he would say to his class of 300students, "If there is anyone here who still believes in Jesus, stand up!" Intwenty 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 chalkfrom hitting the ground and breaking. Such a simple task to prove that he isGod, and yet he can't do it." And every year, he would drop the chalk onto thetile floor of the classroom and it would shatter into a hundred pieces. Allof the students could do nothing but stop and stare. Most of the students wereconvinced that God couldn't exist. Certainly, a number of Christians had slipped through, but for20 years, they had been too afraid to stand up. Well, a few years ago, therewas a freshman who happened to get enrolled in the class. He was a Christian,and had heard the storiesabout his professor. He had to take the class because it was one of therequired classes for his major and he was afraid. But for 3months 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, "YouFOOL!! If God existed he could keep this piece of chalk from breaking when ithit the ground!" He proceeded to drop the chalk, but as he did, itslipped out of his fingers, offhis shirt cuff, onto the pleats of his pants, down his leg, and off his shoe.As it hit the ground, it simply rolled away, unbroken. The professor's jawdropped as he stared at the chalk. He looked up at the young man and then ranout of the lecture hall. The young man who had stood up proceeded to walk tothe front of the room and share his faith in Jesus for the next half hour. 300students stayed and listened as he told of God's love for them and of his powerthrough Jesus.