“There is no God” — that’s the conclusion of the physicist Stephen Hawking, whose final book was published Tuesday. The book, which was completed by his family after his death, offers answers to various questions that Hawking had received in his lifetime. Also “answered” in his book, the British genius believes that alien life is out there. So, if you are keeping score at home, according to Hawking there is no God, but E.T. is somewhere out there in a galaxy far, far away.

With all due respect to Dr. Hawking, I respectfully disagree.

Hawking was a smart guy. Smarter than I ever will be. But he was wrong about God. Now I don’t know if he was wrong about spacemen or not, but I know God is real. I’ve staked my life on it. I believe there is a Creator who made all that there is including Steven Hawking, Pluto, the Milky Way (not the candy bar) and me.

I can’t offer a formula or proof that will convince a hardened atheist. I’m not the mathematician that Steven Hawking was. But here is how my math works:

Jesus > my alcoholic dad

Jesus > than my father-in-law’s Alzheimer’s Disease

Jesus > than a subarachnoid hemorrhage

Jesus > than all my sin (Praise the Lord)

Jesus + the cross = my salvation

Jesus + the empty tomb = my eternal hope

Life – Jesus = meaningless and hopeless

Life + Jesus = Joy Unspeakable

Jesus + us = a match made in heaven (literally)

Knowing Jesus = Peace

Maybe that is all too simplistic for a smart guy like Steven Hawking. The Apostle Paul (an equally brilliant guy) would have answered Steven Hawking this way:

 Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?²¹ For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. ²² Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, ²³ but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, ²⁴ but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. ²⁵ For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength. (1 Corinthians 1:20-25)

If I am reading Paul’s words correctly (and I’d like to think that I am), Paul’s math formula is this:

God > the smartest minds on earth (including Steven Hawking)