Create From Chaos

Mara examines Day Three, where the waters are gathered and vegetation is called forth, particularly focusing on trees as a recurring motif throughout ancient literature. She traces this tree imagery from Genesis through later texts. "We are the soil. But we're also the seed. We are what he's raising from the ground." KEY THEMES: • The recurring image of parting waters to create l...

Mara explores Day Two of creation when the raqia (dome/firmament) is created to separate the waters. She explains ancient cosmology and how this vision of a protective barrier has reshaped her understanding of relationships. "This image affects how I show up in relationships... In moments of tension, I think to myself, Get Big. Make space. Be a raqia." KEY THEMES: • Ancient Near Eastern...

Mara focuses on Day One of creation, examining the first words ("Let there be light") and what they reveal about the creator's character. She explores the ancient understanding of light as both physical and divine, and how time begins with the separation of light from darkness. "The contrast between light and darkness is a foundational image of the underlying cosmic story."...

Mara examines Genesis 1:2 and explores the pre-creation elements of wasteland (tohu vavohu), darkness (choshek), and chaos waters (tehom). She discusses how these elements aren't presented as enemies but as raw materials for creation. "By understanding the non-ordered state of creation and how that is not a rival of the creator, I have become bolder, less fearful as a maker and a mother.&...

Mara explores the very first verse of the Bible, examining what "the heavens and the earth" meant to ancient audiences versus our modern understanding. She unpacks how ancient Near Eastern creation stories influenced Genesis and what makes the Israelite perspective distinct. "I see a being, picking up a paintbrush to outline a space for his creatures, his humans, to be with him. And...

In this debut episode, Mara introduces herself and shares the personal story that led to this podcast. Growing up as both an artist and a person of faith, she experienced tension between these two identities until a deep dive into Genesis in January 2023 sparked a profound shift in her perspective. She explains how exploring ancient biblical texts through their original context has awakened wonder...

Hi, I'm Mara, a singer-songwriter, a mother, and a fledgling bible nerd, here's what this podcast will be all about.