Your Rest Is Ours

A spiritual comment and prayer to start the day with Royal Navy Chaplain Rev Paul Bryce

Good Morning,

‘your rest is ours’… these, the final words from a poem by Simon Armitage to commemorate the 100 anniversary of the burial of the unknown warrior in Westminster Abbey in 2020. At a recent retreat day there for military Chaplains, we held a simple act of remembrance at his tomb in which the poem was read. I was struck by the concept of rest as close by hundreds of tourists were buzzing around taking pictures. We live in a world in which rest is highly prized yet available to seemingly few.

Jesus said ‘Come to me all you who labour and are heavy laden and I will give you rest’. The naval base I serve in, like so many, has what’s called a Haven. A building run by the chaplaincy it seeks to provide a place for rest, peace and to talk about life and why we serve. As a Christian, resting in Jesus does not guarantee a peaceable and quiet life but rather one where our future can be trusted to someone greater than ourselves. Whilst the warrior is at rest having given his life, the world remains busy. How is your life marked by rest? Are you searching for rest in a restless world? Are you working for the peace and rest the Warrior gave his life for? Whatever we face today Jesus offers rest to us all.

Heavenly Father
Your Son promised rest to the weary and peace in a troubled world
Help us follow his example and those armed forces personnel
Who have given their life
To create a better world as agents of peace

Amen.