Faith stories - Peter
Tell us a little about yourself David:
My name is Pete, and I am a member here at the church. By day, my professional life is rooted in the precise, structured worlds of engineering and finance in the coupled worlds of renewable energy and AI data centres. However, I have believed in the importance of a balanced life, which is why I actively immerse myself in the arts. Outside of analytical spreadsheets and technical projects, you will usually find me expressing my creative side as part of a band playing Edinburgh venues, participating in musical open mics and experimenting with classical and contemporary oil painting at a local fine art atelier in Leith.
Tell us about some big events that you have lived through that has defined you:
Living through the 1970s and 1980s in Scotland meant witnessing massive industrial shifts, political changes, and cultural evolution across the UK. On a global scale, my generation watched the geopolitical anxieties of the Cold War eventually give way to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dawn of the digital age. But closer to home, the most significant personal event was the radical demographic and cultural shift of the era. Growing up as a person of Chinese heritage in a predominantly white Glasgow during those decades meant living through a time when multiculturalism was still a very new concept to the local community.
What’s the hardest thing you’ve experienced in your lifetime?
The hardest thing I have experienced was the isolation and challenge of my childhood. Being unique in colour in 1970s and 1980s Glasgow brought a distinct set of social pressures, stares, and hardships as I navigated my identity. Yet, looking back, God’s grace was already at work even before I knew Him. Amidst those testing years, I was blessed with wonderful, fun (sometimes insane!) memories at the Boys' Brigade, which provided a safe haven of camaraderie, laughter, and structured community that balanced out the tougher days of my youth.
What is the greatest thing you’ve seen the Lord do in your lifetime?
Without a doubt, the greatest thing I have ever witnessed is the supernatural power of the Lord to transform and gradually heal human brokenness, specifically, my own. While studying at university, my campus happened to sit right next to Holy Trinity Brompton in London. It was during this time that I experienced a dramatic, undeniable, "road to Damascus" conversion experience. It was so tangible that it completely redirected the trajectory of my then dark existence. Passing from darkness into His marvellous light really felt like the story of Genesis unfolding but rather than creating the world out of darkness He was creating a new version of myself. I’m still very much a work in progress but I now have a source of hope in God I couldn’t have dreamed of before.
What one lesson would you want to pass on to the future generations of BEC?
If I could pass on only one lesson to the younger generations sitting in our pews today, it is this: Life can and will still be tough, but you have an unshakeable God to lean on. Human strength, career success, and financial security are shifting sands, but Christ is a solid rock. Do not try to carry the weight of the world, your career, or your anxieties on your own shoulders. Cultivate a deep, tangible relationship with the Lord now, lean hard into Him during the storms, and let Him balance your life with His perfect peace. I love that story of the woman who touched the edge of Jesus cloak believing that it would heal her in Mark 5 v 25-34. An experience that not only produced physical healing but importantly spiritual, emotional healing and in her standing in the community too. If we all could share in her same attitude of reaching out to Jesus in the chaos of the crowd and the sometimes painful legacy of our own lives I am sure we would also be equally and powerfully transformed!
