A Beagle, a plane, a convention

A couple of days ago, 'S', my co-worker called me up and said:
Well, it worked pretty well when you prayed for Barney (the beagle); and when we went on vacation the plane stayed up in the air when you prayed, so now my wife has something else for you to pray.  She wants you to pray for safety during the convention, that New York City won't have any terrorist event.
I agreed to pray, but reminded him that many people would be praying for that. And he replied:
Yes, we already discussed that, but I said that you should pray, because you have connections!
He's kidding, of course, and yet there's a germ of truth -- he's recognizing that there is some sort of relationship going on.  He's mentioned this before, and if someone looks puzzled when they hear the word 'connections' he then adds:
She knows somebody. 
He's joking when he says it, and he does his best to make it sound as if I'm in the Mafia or something, and yet I think there is a tiny part of him that wonders if it is true. And after all, don't forget that the beagle and the plane both turned out ok!
So now, let's all pray for the safety of the city.