In a jaw-dropping development, actor Jim Caveziel, cast as Jesus Christ in Mel Gibson's The Passion of Christ, has been struck by lightning.

Let us not go rushing to superstition, however; Caveziel was not injured.

Furthermore, let us take a moment and consider what the CNN story (http://www.cnn.com/2003/SHOWBIZ/Movies/10/24/gibson.passion/index.html) tells us: An assistant director on the film, Jan Michelini, was also hit -- for the second time in a few months.

The first time, a lightning fork struck his umbrella during filming on top of a hill near Matera in Italy, causing light burns to the tips of his fingers, VLife, a supplement to Variety publications said in its October issue.

A few months later the second strike happened, a few hours from Rome.

Michelini was again carrying an umbrella, and standing next to Caviezel on top of a hill, the magazine said.

Both were hit, with the main bolt striking Caviezel while one of its forks hit Michelini's umbrella. Neither were hurt.Charges of antisemitism, fits about the script languages (Latin and Aramaic), and now ... this.

Um ... Mel? What's next? The Second Coming? ;)

You'd think he would have learnt about the dangers of standing on the tops of hills with an umbrella after the first strike. Silly man.

Besides, he may have thought that umbrella may be dangerous in such condition, so why not consider something else?

Maybe God just sent them some inspiration...;)

how interesting that any god would take time to stop a movie but not a famine

maybe he didn't like the choice of actors.