For a long time, Christianity had been something I was curious about from a distance. I had visited churches, photographed them and wondered about the people and the sense of community I found there, but it had not yet become something personal.
That began to change during the COVID period, at a time when I was emotionally struggling and searching for something that could help me make sense of where I was.
A few months earlier, my father had died after a long illness. His death left a space in my life that I did not really know how to fill, and when the pandemic arrived, with all the isolation and uncertainty that came with it, that feeling became even stronger. I had reached a point where I felt empty and was looking almost desperately for something that could give me some stability.
Even then, I did not imagine that another religion would be the answer. After my earlier experiences with religion, the idea that I might find comfort in a new faith was not something I naturally expected.
A close friend who was already a Christian helped me during that period and eventually I joined an online Christian gathering for the first time. What I encountered there felt very different from what I had expected. It was not one particular teaching or dramatic moment that affected me; it was the whole atmosphere.
The kindness between people, the way they prayed together, the songs they sang and the warmth of the gathering all felt unfamiliar to me in a good way. I had seen something similar years earlier when I first entered a church in Isfahan, but this time I was not there as a photographer standing behind a camera. I was there because I needed something myself.
I continued attending, and after several meetings I realised that the feeling was not disappearing. The peace I experienced stayed with me, and having a close friend beside me who could answer questions and help me understand what I was hearing made the process feel natural rather than forced. I was not being asked to make a sudden decision. I was simply learning, listening and slowly allowing myself to explore.
Soon, Christianity started to become part of my everyday life. I began reading the Bible every day and praying regularly. Certain verses gave me strength at moments when I needed it, but I also found myself enjoying the Gospels simply as a story that I wanted to continue reading. I wanted to know what happened next, to understand Jesus better and to see where this journey was taking me.
Looking back, I cannot point to one single moment when curiosity became faith. It happened gradually, through conversations, prayer, reading and a sense of peace that continued from one day to the next. What had once been something I observed from the outside was slowly becoming part of my own life.
Faith was slowly becoming personal.