Stand Up

Can one person really make a difference? I read a story on the Internet that illustrates so well how one person standing up for what they believe in can change things. It is believed to be a true story. This is the story....

There was a professor of philosophy at USC 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 because of his reputation.

At the end of every semester, on the last day, he would say to his class of 300 students, "It 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, "Anyone who does believe 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 and it would break into a hundred pieces. The students could do nothing but sit and stare. Most of the students were convinced that God couldn't exist.

A few years ago, there was a freshman who 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 for his major. He prayed every morning for 3 months that he would have the courage to stand up no matter what the professor said or what the class thought. He hoped that nothing could shatter his faith.

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 in the back of the classroom. The professor shouted, "You fool! If God existed, He could 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 pleats 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 at the young man and ran out of the lecture hall. The young man walked to the front of the classroom 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.