If only Christ had died on an ampersand.

OK, so CNN has a "story" about how Huckabee put a subliminal cross in the background of his latest campaign commercial. Though I wouldn't put it past him, I think that CNN is just groping for a story here. Sometimes a bookshelf is just a bookshelf.

But it does kind of remind me of the annoyance I feel when somebody sees something like this...



...in the ruins of the World Trade Center and proclaims it to be a message from God. They will stare at it like Richard Dreyfuss gaping at his mashed potatoes and proclaim in awed tones, "This means something. This is important."

Listen, folks. I don't discount people's experiences with God and their stories of being touched by the divine. But in terms of meaningful signs, this is a bit of a stretch.

I mean it's a CROSS, people! It's probably one of the most common symbols in the world. If you look hard enough, you can find it anywhere. Hell, I can find a dozen just sitting in my office here. That doesn't mean that my cubicle walls have been blessed by the Lord.

I once had this sex-obsessed friend who, no matter what film we watched, would proclaim every single friggin tree and lamppost to be a phallic symbol. If you're determined to find something, then you'll make sure you do.

But if they are right and these are all symbols directed by God, I just wish He would rain a little Manna over Rawanda once in a while instead of posting yet another cross. A little practicality and usefullness in your miracles is no sin.