This answer comes from Station III of the journey. It builds on two insights we gained earlier: from nothing, nothing comes (Station I), and the universe must have a beginning and a cause outside of itself (Station II). So the question is no longer whether something created the universe, but what. You can read the relevant section here word for word, exactly as it appears in the journey.
Imagine a row of dominoes. The first domino is the Big Bang, in which the universe came into being around 13.8 billion years ago. The next stone stands for the formation of the first stars, followed by the emergence of the sun, then the Earth, life, and finally human beings. Something must have knocked over the first domino — that is, begun the chain of existence.
This brings us to the decisive question:
What could have brought forth such a vast and complex reality?
Was it a blind, impersonal force? Pure chance? Or rather an almighty, consciously acting Creator? Let us find out together.
Was it a natural force?
We begin with the idea that the universe came into being through a natural force or some kind of energy that knocked over the first domino — that is, created the universe out of nothing.
Now, this idea has the following problem:
Forces do not create objects out of nothing; they act only on objects that already exist. Therefore a force depends on the existence of the universe itself and requires space, time and matter in order to act. Gravity, for example, can attract objects, but for that these objects must first exist. So if we go all the way back to the beginning, before time, space or matter existed, how could a force then have acted on nothing to bring everything into being? That is absolutely impossible.
Furthermore, natural forces are not capable of making decisions; they merely act in a predictable way once the universe exists. Since the universe came into being at a particular point in time, there must have been a decision that led to its emergence. The first cause thus decided to bring the universe into existence. Such a decision requires a will and a mind. Therefore the first cause cannot be a mindless force.
A mindless force is thereby ruled out. That leaves two possibilities: pure chance — or a consciously acting Creator. You can find the answer to the chance question here: Did everything arise merely by chance?