At the beginning of this month, Devon Clunis, a 14 year chaplain with the Winnipeg Police Service, was appointed our city’s 17th chief of police. An interview with Christian Week has Clunis making national news for his comments on the power of prayer:
“What would happen if we all just truly started praying for the peace of this city and then actually started putting some action behind that?”
“I’m a little tired of us… being ‘(the) murder capital of Canada,’ ” says Clunis, “People consistently say, ‘How are you going to solve that?’ It’s not simply going to be because we’re going to go out there and police it away. I truly believe that prayer will be a significant piece of that.
What would happen if we all just truly — I’m talking about all religious stripes here — started praying for the peace of this city and then actually started putting some action behind that?” he adds. “I believe something phenomenal is going to happen in our city. I truly believe it’s coming. I don’t think I’ve arrived at this position just by chance.”
The Christian Week article states that Clunis attributes his success to God; he says he has never asked God to make him a powerful person, but rather he has prayed that God make him a leader who treats people with dignity and respect and who is successful in his endeavours. Clunis says at the end of the day, he just wants to give of himself to help the community.
May God grant Devon Clunis success. Let us all pray that God will bring needed change to our city, and that God will help us each see where we can lend a hand.
See the full ChristianWeek story,
New police chief: prayer will play a role in reducing violent crime
and responses from the community in the Brandon Sun’s article,
New top cop’s weapon: prayer
St. John's Anglican Cathedral 