by James Cirrone
Dr. Rice Broocks and Dr. Michael Guillen, two Christians, have been traveling around the country, hopping from campus to campus to offer what they see as evidence that God isn’t dead. On Oct.18, the duo stopped at the University of Maryland’s Hoff Theater to give a presentation.
Keaton Hogan, a freshman aerospace engineering major, came to see the presentation since he had seen the film adaptation of “God’s Not Dead” a few years ago.
“I just thought it’d be interesting to come see, learn some new stuff, and reinforce my faith,” Hogan said.
Broocks and Guillen began their presentation by introducing their claim. In simpler terms, it came down to ‘God is real, and he created the universe.’
They divided their claim into four main parts.
“Number one: there was a beginning,” Broocks said when discussing the Big Bang Theory. “Imagine this: what you have is nothing turning into something, and the question is how could something come from absolutely nothing?”
Their second point was that a universe as complex and as vast as ours had to have an intelligent creator who could fine-tune everything. Broocks argued that God is the “spaceless, timeless, powerful cause of the universe.”
Their third point was that the concept of morality–good and evil–can not exist without God.
They then took on the challenge of providing credence to the claim that Jesus is God. Broocks and Guillen argued that the story of the resurrection of Jesus, as told in the Bible, is plausible. They explained that there was no way Jesus could have survived his crucifixion, that his body disappeared from his tomb and that his followers attested to the fact that Jesus appeared to them in the flesh.
Achley Sakho, a junior public health science major, said after the event that the resurrection of Christ resonated with her the most.
“The Christian faith basically hangs on that, and if you can disprove that one thing then everything else falls apart,” Sakho said.
The presentation ended with Broocks leading the attendees in prayer in which he asked for people to put their trust in God.
After, Dr. Broocks asked students to stand if they felt comfortable letting everyone know that they wanted to follow Jesus Christ. It took a while, but one by one, students began to stand until there were several who had risen from their seats.
It was an emotional gathering with guests hugging one another and swapping stories about their faith. Broocks handed out free copies of his book to students who attended and asked them to stay in contact.
Broocks is the author of the book, “God’s Not Dead: Evidence for God in an Age of Uncertainty,” which was the inspiration of the 2014 film “God’s Not Dead.” Broocks also founded Every Nation Churches & Ministries, an organization with churches in 78 countries.
Guillen is a scientist, a journalist and a former Harvard University instructor.
Broocks, a man with a background in preaching, and Guillen, a man of science, do not seem like they would be natural partners. Guillen addressed this by saying how he had a strong, nagging sense to move to Nashville all the way from California that he attributed to God’s calling. When he moved to Nashville, a friend of Guillen’s suggested he meet Broocks, and the two hit it off.
“I told Dr. Broocks…‘you know, I don’t think the church is interested in what I have to say.’ I had felt like a lot of Christians see science as a threat to their faith, like science is out to get them or something,” Guillen said. “I knew that not to be the case, I was living proof that science and Christianity can coexist quite peacefully, quite beautifully actually.”
Dr. Broocks told Guillen that his perspective was unique and different, and he wanted Guillen to accompany him on his trips to campuses, so that’s what they did.
The duo play off each other’s strengths on stage. Broocks would provide scriptural analysis and arguments for Christianity, while Guillen would jump in with his scientific perspective.
For instance, during the presentation, Broocks mentioned that the universe had a beginning and argued that “something” can’t come from “nothing.” Guillen then expanded on his partner’s point by invoking the fact that Edwin Hubble, in 1929, discovered that the universe was indeed expanding. This, he explained, allowed scientists to postulate that there was a single point from which the entire universe expanded (the singularity). This meant the universe began and didn’t exist indefinitely, a theory that was largely accepted before Hubble’s discovery.
However, Guillen also waded into a personal story during the presentation. It was an experience in his life that most directly tested his faith.
He explained that he dove down in a small submarine two and a half miles down into the ocean to explore the wreckage of the Titanic. They perused the bow of the ship, after which they moved to the stern. Their sub became stuck on the blades of a propeller. Then the panic set in.
“I’m racking my scientific brain for all the possible solutions because I’m a problem solver by training…and I came to the conclusion there was no way out,” Guillen said. “These were the exact words that came into my mind. ‘This is how it’s going to end for you.‘”
His voice broke recounting how he began thinking of his wife, Laurel, and how he was never going to see her again if he never got out of this.
“I felt something inhabit the sub, something invisible. I don’t know how else to explain it to you,” he said to the audience.
After an hour of struggling to escape from the propeller, they managed to break free and they immediately went for the surface.
He described that harrowing experience as his “Titanic moment,” and he told the attendees that they too would reach their “Titanic moment,” further emphasizing that what you believe is incredibly important in that crucial moment.
When asked if he thought that if things might’ve ended in tragedy at the bottom of the ocean if he didn’t have faith in God, he responded emphatically.
“Oh, absolutely,” Guillen said. “There’s no question in my mind.”
Featured photo courtesy of James Cirrone.