David has graduated now (several years ago actually!), but we thought we’d leave this up as it gives a pretty good idea of what we’re about and why we’re here!
Welcome to the Edinburgh Vet Christian Union (CU) website.
We’re a small group of believers who meet every Friday at 5.30pm (or so) in someone s flat during term time. I was going to say that the only 2 things we all have in common are that we’re Christians and that we’re vet students, but the latter is not strictly true + I guess that any non-Christians who want to come along are more than welcome!
My name’s David, and by writing this I have just appointed myself as 1st-ever Edinburgh VetCU Webmaster, a post that I will promptly retire from once I stop typing and get this out in cyberspace. If you’re reading this, you re probably either prayerfully considering whether God wants you to go off to Vet School in Edinburgh to serve him there or, more than likely, you’ve got a place here in September and are swotting up on what might tickle your fancy to get involved in while there.
Well, it’s said that it’s a fool that learns by experience, so here s how one fool kicked off his uni experience
| “Did God want me to go there?“ |
I was brought up in Northern Ireland, in a Christian family, going to church and handed over my life to Jesus Christ at an early age. Skipping over a few years I had a bit of a spiritual crisis the summer before going off to vet school: did God want me to go there? I’d always thought that I’d go to uni and do my vet degree, and then if God wanted me to do something radical like go off and be a missionary in Africa, well, I could do it once I graduated and I’d have the added bonuses of a practical skill to take with me and the assurance of being able to get a job back in the UK once I finished (vets must be very employable, I reasoned). I struggled with this for a while, and eventually decided that I had no option other than to surrender ALL my plans to God and, if he wanted me to go without the security of a third level education, then I’d have to trust that he knew what was best for me + I’d be stupid to battle to do anything else. At that point of surrender, I felt God saying, just checking, you can go off to vet school in Edinburgh; just don’t forget that I could call you somewhere else at any point, and you must be ready to come without hesitation. (A lesson I haven’t totally forgotten: I know that God could call me elsewhere the day before my finals and if I wasn t prepared to go then I’ve made my degree an idol which I’ve worshipped before the living God.)
So there I was, free and fresh from school ready for the joys of uni life. I knew I d find it hard to be a Christian at uni (I wasn t really very outspoken on my faith, and was generally rather ashamed/embarrassed), but figured that it was just something that I had to drop into conversation as early on as possible, and then I could get on with the important business of making as many new friends as possible, being generally popular and making a good life for myself for the next 5 years. That said, I threw myself into Freshers Week: I was exhausted by Sunday morning and didn t make it to the EUCU Church Search not to worry, there’s another one next week.
| “I was, free and fresh from school ready for the joys of uni life.“ |
The reality was that I didn’t settle at a church, get involved with the Christian Union or the small groups that happened in Pollock Halls. In fact, by January of my second year, I’d gotten so far from God that I wasn’t really thinking about him at all. My Bible hadn’t been unpacked when I moved into my flat, and I doubt I’d prayed for months.
It s been a hard road of spiritual recovery, but God’s been with me every step of the way. He helped me settle at a good church, and used the few Christians I associated with powerfully. He led me to do a SU summer mission back home where I lived that summer (one of the best experiences of my life). I struggled through third year a bit, and still didn t really have (m)any Christian friends at vet school. 4th year saw God teach me that I could be more than a rather lame Christian influence among my non-Christian friends as I got involved in the VetCU, as well as attending the main uni meetings when I could. Slowly uni changed from a God-forsaken place where I spent 30wks a year trying not to let my little faith be eroded until the next holiday, into a huge and exciting mission field where I could live by faith daily if I chose to, and develop and mature as a disciple of Christ.
| “ Uni changed from a God-forsaken place… into a huge and exciting mission field “ |
This story’s far from complete, and I shudder when I think of what challenges the year ahead may hold for me, but the reason I’m bothering to fill this page isn’t just because I like the sound of my own voice. Going off to uni IS a big deal, and for a Christian, it can be make or break. Will you step out in faith and praise God as he carries you along, or will you stand back and let your faith be eroded? Anyone at the VetCU would love to help you on your journey, as you find your feet in Freshers Week and encounter many of the same challenges that we ve been through. The main Edinburgh Uni CU is also there to help, and it’s well worth getting involved with some of their Freshers events (don’t worry, you’ve got the rest of your degree to meet fellow vets!). And don’t forget God’s church: any of us would welcome you to join us for your first Sunday until you find a church that suits yourself.
We’d love to hear from you if you’ve read this far at: edinburgh@vcf.org.uk . Otherwise, keep an eye out for us at the Freshers Fair in the vet school on your 1st Monday.
Yours in Christ,
David
