Opinion

Brandon Sun - PRINT EDITION

Can prayer keep us safe?

By: Uncredited

Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2012 | Comments: 0

Now I lay me down to sleep (in my North End slum),

I pray the Lord my soul to keep (safe from gang bangers),

If I shall die before I wake (from a drive-by shooting),

I pray the Lord my soul to take (the I.P. will have been done with it.)

Amen.

Incoming Winnipeg police Chief Devon Clunis is celebrating his promotion on a wing and a prayer by advocating the use of prayer to help address the provincial capital’s crime problem.

We remind you that Winnipeg is repeatedly named the violent crime and homicide capital of Canada.

It’s a dangerous place with some neighbourhoods that rival the worst ghettos of the largest American cities.

By comparison, Brandon has had one confirmed homicide this year — a deliberately set house fire last April that killed a 75-year-old man.

Clunis says he would like Winnipeggers of all faiths to pray for a better and safer city, as he believes people often find inspiration in prayer to take action and help one another.

“I think if we have a community that’s consistently praying for one another, hopefully we’ll now see the physical reduction of crime and violence in our city,” Clunis, who is a Christian, told CBC News in an interview.

“If you’re praying for your neighbour, I don’t think you’ll be out there hating your neighbour or fighting with your neighbour,” he added.

“If you are praying for your neighbour, you’ll say, ‘OK, I’m praying, but how can I practically do something to impact my neighbour’s well-being?’”

If this man wasn’t to officially take over the position later this year from Chief Keith McCaskill, it would be a really good joke.

Some great fodder for the late-might talk shows, a gut-grabbing skit for “Saturday Night Live.”

But no, this is true. Serious. He means it, folks.

Clunis, 48, was named as Winnipeg’s 17th chief of police earlier this month. A 25-year veteran of the Winnipeg Police Service, Clunis has also served as a chaplain with the force.

The Jamaican-born man is also the force’s first black chief.

“My faith is foundational to everything that I do,” he told CBC.

And somebody thought he’d be a great leader for the men and women in blue who are literally in a turf war between bikers, street gangs, drug dealers with guns and just plain crazy people with knives.

Yeah, let’s just mix up all that church and state and see how it all works out.

And not to mention tee off a few atheists and agnostics along the way.

Arthur Schafer, an ethicist with the University of Manitoba, told CBC Clunis should not speak so openly about his religious views while he is holding public office.

“No one chose him to be police of our souls,” Schafer said. “I think it’s entirely inappropriate for a chief of police, in his role as chief of police, to be advocating prayer either to his colleagues on the police force or to the general public.”

Clunis started with the Winnipeg Police Service in 1987 and has served in several units, including patrol, traffic, plainclothes investigation, community relations, organizational development and the duty office.

He currently oversees the Service’s Development Support Branch, which encompasses four divisions.

You’ll note he has little practical experience in dealing with violent crimes.

We can only hope that while Clunis is praising the Lord, he’s also still passing the ammunition.

Republished from the Brandon Sun print edition October 24, 2012

Rate this
This article is currently rated an average of 1 out of 5 (1 votes).

We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high. If you thought it was well written, do the same. If it doesn’t meet your standards, mark it accordingly.

You can also register and/or login to the site and join the conversation by leaving a comment.

Rate it yourself by rolling over the stars and clicking when you reach your desired rating. We want you to tell us what you think of our articles. If the story moves you, compels you to act or tells you something you didn’t know, mark it high.

Sort by: Newest to Oldest | Oldest to Newest | Most Popular 0 Comments

You can comment on most stories on brandonsun.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

There are no comments at the moment. Be the first to post a comment below.

Post Your Comment

The Brandon Sun does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. Comments are moderated before publication. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

Now I lay me down to sleep (in my North End slum),

I pray the Lord my soul to keep (safe from gang bangers),

Please subscribe to view full article.

Already subscribed? Login to view full article.

Not yet a subscriber? Click Here to Signup

Now I lay me down to sleep (in my North End slum),

I pray the Lord my soul to keep (safe from gang bangers),

Subscription required to view full article.

A subscription to the Brandon Sun Newspaper is required to view this article. Please update your user information if you are already a newspaper subscriber.