Our ever vigilante and trustworthy press recently reported that an image of Michael Jackson was spotted on the hood of a car thirteen hours after the singer's death. I was reminded of a story from several months ago, about how a family in the UK saw the face of Jesus inside a Marmite jar lid.

In case you missed the earlier, and more thought-provoking news item, Claire Allen noticed the face at breakfast as she was putting the yeast spread on her son's toast.

Her husband was doubtful when he first looked "...but when I moved it away from me it started coming out. I thought Christ, yeah, she's right - that's the image of Jesus."

Said Mrs. Allen, "People might think I'm nuts, but I like to think it's Jesus looking out for us....it's comforting to think that if he is there, he's watching over us."

This would not be my reaction.

Here we have an an omniscient, all powerful being which wishes to look out for the Allen family and in it's infinite wisdom, with the ability to do absolutely anything, decides that it would be really excellent to manifest its awesome presence in a smear of salty black glop under the lid of a Marmite jar.

Is that a comforting thought? That something like that is watching over you?

It would make me wonder what this deity's next really good idea is going to be.

I'd feel more comforted if I found Walter Cronkite under the lid of the mustard jar.