What's in a storm? What indeed. One time back in 2000 we were chatting with a famous television evangelist, a nun, before doing a show and speaking about all the storms and other signs in nature as well as the miraculous indications of God and why so few in the Church seemed to see or accept such things and she remarked simply, "They don't believe. They don't believe." Her message: many shepherds did not truly accept the supernatural or take the Bible literally or at least did not think God intervenes on an active basis.

That was never more obvious than in Minneapolis last week -- when an extremely rare tornado roared near the downtown and ripped a steeple off the flagship Lutheran cathedral while national leaders of that congregation were there in Minneapolis -- across the street, at that very moment -- preparing to vote on whether to have a more accepting policy toward homosexuals. So stark was the "sign" that it was commented about on both religious and secular blogs and even by leaders at the event itself -- yet when it came down to the vote, they obviously dismissed it, for they proceeded not only to vote for a more accepting policy but, two days later, to allow actively homosexual as clergy!

Some said there had not been such a storm in ninety years (about as long as anyone could remember), and if that wasn't enough of a "sign," the tornado itself was brief and just a hundred yards wide and moved only over a distance of only half a mile -- just enough to knock off the steeple, disrupt the meeting, and also destroy the roof and windows of a famous local music store called the "Electric Fetus." This perhaps is taking happenstance -- and rejection of signs -- to a new level. A rare meteorological event like out of the Old Testament occurs and still Lutheran leaders proceed with a matter that contravenes Old and New Testament teachings. At the same time, a bizarre dark cloud and tornado warnings swept over Toronto, Canada [above photo] and a vicious storm felled a hundred trees in New York City's Central Park.

Are these signs? Minnesota seemed like an easy one to discern, but as Scripture tells us, it rains on the good and evil and storms can be both curses and blessings. The same week, lightning destroyed a Presbyterian church in DeBary, Florida, for no obvious reason. Does the devil also disrupt? Is he truly "prince of the power of the air"? Five years ago, during Hurricane Charley (which was recalled last week), a Catholic church in Punta Gorda was completely ruined but for the tabernacle -- next to which, amid all the debris, a candle somehow, some way, still flickered.

Sometimes, it seems, there is an angel in the whirlwind, sometimes the opposite. It is good to pay attention, especially when storms kick up in our own lives.

[see also: Charley remembered: one church's miracle, **Minneapolis 'tornado' rips through Lutheran conference on gays, Winds tear off steeple, Music store 'Electric Fetus' also hit,  Clintons forced to flee Bermuda, Storms likewise fell trees in Manhattan, Lightning destroys church, Lutherans move toward more 'open' view of homosexuality, Will hurricane disrupt Obamas?, and Look at this cloud over Toronto!]