In the entrance of the magnificent modern cathedral of St. Michael in Coventry, England, a most enigmatic statement is emblazoned upon the floor in large gleaming brass letters that demand to be read. There is no escaping it, for one has to walk over it to enter the nave. It says, "TO THE GLORY OF GOD THIS CHURCH BURNT, NOVEMBER 14, 1941."

The incredible irony of that statement is what grabs the attention. "To the glory of God?" How can that be? That’s the kind of statement one inscribes under a stained glass window or some other thing of beauty. How can it be said about the ruin of a beautiful cathedral? The ruins of tragedy are there for anyone to see. There beside the new ultra-modern cathedral is the burnt-out shell of the once glorious medieval gothic church burned to the ground by fir…