My name is Richard. My spiritual background is chaotic and uncharacterisable. I went to Christian schools, was raised by atheistic grandparents, mingled with new age/neopagan types, and read quite a deal about all kinds of faiths. After a long stint of total faith in reductionist materialism, my eyes were opened during a long-distance bicycle tour: from Chicago to New Orleans I rode alone. It took a month, I was very lonely, and I discovered God early on. Since then, my spirituality has developed significantly, mostly in the ascetic/mystical way. Until very recently, I was certain that God exists and he has a Plan for me, but I didn't know what it was.
A story from a Christian girl at work about a prayer that was answered inspired me to pray as well. She had questions, and after praying a random guy walked up to her and started a conversation in which he answered all of her questions by seeming coincidence. When I prayed I didn't get a tangible response the way she did, but I did recieve a bizarre and surprising knowledge: that I must convert to Islam. As I said, I have read about all kinds of faiths, but my reading on Islam has been very limited. I understand the basic premise of the faith, and some of the required duties, but I don't know any of the details of prayer and I don't know any Muslims in my local area (the nearest mosques are both quite a distance from here). I do not want to hesitate for a moment on the commands of the Divine, but I don't get the feeling like this is something that I can just dive into by myself. Since that night I have been reading more about Islam, and learning a great deal, but I can not do this alone.
Can anyone help me with this culture shock? It would be especially good if any of you live in New Orleans, or know someone who does that could assist me.
A story from a Christian girl at work about a prayer that was answered inspired me to pray as well. She had questions, and after praying a random guy walked up to her and started a conversation in which he answered all of her questions by seeming coincidence. When I prayed I didn't get a tangible response the way she did, but I did recieve a bizarre and surprising knowledge: that I must convert to Islam. As I said, I have read about all kinds of faiths, but my reading on Islam has been very limited. I understand the basic premise of the faith, and some of the required duties, but I don't know any of the details of prayer and I don't know any Muslims in my local area (the nearest mosques are both quite a distance from here). I do not want to hesitate for a moment on the commands of the Divine, but I don't get the feeling like this is something that I can just dive into by myself. Since that night I have been reading more about Islam, and learning a great deal, but I can not do this alone.
Can anyone help me with this culture shock? It would be especially good if any of you live in New Orleans, or know someone who does that could assist me.