Create From Chaos

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."

KEY THEMES:

• The gentle, unrushed nature of the creative process

• The ancient understanding of light as both physical and divine

• The creation of time as the first creative act

• Light as a recurring metaphor throughout ancient literature

REFERENCES:

• The Bible Project's ⁠⁠⁠Ancient Cosmology podcast series⁠⁠⁠, ⁠⁠⁠Heaven and Earth classroom series⁠⁠⁠

• John Walton's ⁠⁠⁠"The Lost World of Genesis One"⁠⁠⁠

• Robin Parry's ⁠⁠⁠"The Biblical Cosmos"

• Nahum Sarna's "Understanding Genesis"

• Roslyn Sulcas, "Tennis's Connection with Ballet," The New York Times

• Marilynne Robinson's "Reading Genesis"

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Get in touch on Instagram (@marameasor) or via email ([email protected])

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."

KEY THEMES:

• The ancient understanding of creation as order emerging from chaos

• Parallels between Genesis and other ancient creation myths

• How these elements later become symbols of opposition when against the intended order

• Personal reflections on embracing chaos in motherhood and creativity

REFERENCES:

• The Bible Project's ⁠Ancient Cosmology podcast series⁠, ⁠Heaven and Earth classroom series⁠

• John Walton's ⁠"The Lost World of Genesis One"⁠

• Robin Parry's ⁠"The Biblical Cosmos"

• Everett Fox's translation, "The Five Books of Moses" (Schocken Bible, Vol. 1)

• N. T. Wright, on "do not be afraid" as the most repeated command in the Bible

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Get in touch on Instagram (@marameasor) or via email ([email protected])

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 whenever these humans tell the story of their origin, they point right back at him as they notice that outline."

KEY THEMES:

• The Hebrew words for "heaven" (shamayim) and "earth" (erets) and their meaning

• How ancient audiences understood creation as functional rather than material

• The narrative as the story of reuniting heaven and earth

• The enchanted worldview of ancient texts versus modern disenchantment

REFERENCES:

• The Bible Project's ⁠Ancient Cosmology podcast series⁠, ⁠Heaven and Earth classroom series⁠ (for a quick visual, take a look at the "heaven and earth" theme video⁠ available on YouTube)

• John Walton's ⁠"The Lost World of Genesis One"⁠

• Robin Parry's ⁠"The Biblical Cosmos"

• Joseph Lam's essay "The Biblical Creation in its Ancient Near Eastern Context" (BioLogos)

• Othmar Keel, cited in the Bible Project's Heaven and Earth classroom series

• N. T. Wright's "Surprised by Hope"

• "I'll Fly Away," written by Albert E. Brumley

• Curt Thompson's "Anatomy of the Soul"

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Get in touch on Instagram (@marameasor) or via email ([email protected])

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, meaning, and creativity in her life.

"Reading the book of Genesis began my journey from a tortured artist to a wildly alive human being."

KEY THEMES:

• Mara's background as an artist/musician from Hong Kong

• The tension between creativity and faith that led to a sense of torturedness

• The loss of her father and how it affected her spiritual journey

• How studying Genesis through ancient contexts rekindled her creativity

REFERENCES:

• James K. A. Smith's "You Are What You Love" (the chapter "What Story Are You In?")

• The Bible Project podcast

Join Mara's email community at marameasor.com/join

Get in touch on Instagram (@marameasor) or via email ([email protected])

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