Create from Chaos
An exploration of the ancient world of Genesis through the mind of a bible nerd, the imagination of a singer-songwriter, and the chaos of a mother.
“A thoughtful artist brings the words of Scripture, the questions of a believer, and the chaos of existence together and paints a beautiful picture of Genesis. Mara clearly thinks very deeply about each topic and speaks from deep truths in an intimate and easy manner. She covers theological concepts at a seminary level, but does so through personal story and reflection. Mara is not so much teaching a truth as she is whisking you away on a journey of reflection and discovery.”
- Eric K.
Season 1 —
the seven day creation story
This season goes day by day through the first story of Scripture, uncovering layers of meaning hidden by familiarity. Each episode explores Ancient Egyptian and Babylonian mythology and wonders how the Israelites’ vision enters into conversation with their neighbors. Discover how the original audience would have heard this story: not as the science of origins, but an imaginative vision of God, humanity, and chaos — an enchanted template for living fully human.
Season 2 —
The Messy Interlude
Season 2 pauses the forward movement of Genesis to pay attention to what’s often skipped over. In more exploratory episodes, the podcast follows the text into unexpected places — how the Bible was formed, how meaning emerges, and how ancient words continue to shape a modern life. This season makes space for unfinished thoughts and open questions, practicing a slower way of reading that values presence over perfection.
the voices and teachers behind the podcast
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Tim Mackie
"At the core of a lot of people's wrestling with the bible is the question: do we think the God revealed in the bible is beautiful?"
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N. T. Wright
"God's plan was always for heaven and earth to be united—and for humans to be the go-between."
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Robert Alter
"The reticence of biblical narrative is part of its art. What is left unsaid is as important as what is said."
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curt thompson
"Emotion [is] the very energy the brain organizes itself around."
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dan allender
"The themes in your life aren't accidents. They're the threads God is weaving."
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Frederick Beuchner
"Pay attention. Be astonished. Tell about it."
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Rick Rubin
The creative process is not about control. It's about collaboration with something larger than yourself.
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Marilynne Robinson
"When something is beautiful, you will be rewarded for inquiring into its meaning."
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Lucy Peppiatt
"We must be humble enough to admit when we don't know, curious enough to keep asking, and brave enough to let go of interpretations that no longer bear the weight we've placed on them."
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Avivah Zornberg
"The reader who struggles with the text, who questions and resists and engages—this is not irreverence. This is how the text comes alive. The rabbis called this wrestling. And wrestling is an act of intimacy."
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Carlo Rovelli
"Here, on the edge of what we know, in contact with the ocean of the unknown, shines the mystery and the beauty of the world. And it's breathtaking."
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Michael Heiser
"There's an unseen realm, and the biblical writers believed it was just as real as what they could see."
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Eugene Peterson
"The moment the Bible is treated as a tool, as something to be used for our purposes—even good purposes like winning arguments or bolstering doctrine—we've abandoned reading and taken up propaganda."
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Walter Brueggemann
Genesis insists that chaos is not the final word. God's creative word is the final word.
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Abraham Joshua Heschel
"The Sabbath is a palace in time which we build. It is made of soul, of joy and reticence."
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John Walton
"We cannot assume that our intuition will take us the right direction. Intuition is culturally shaped."
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Robin Parry
"We must resist the temptation to make the Bible 'sensible' by our standards. The strangeness is the point. It forces us to enter a world not our own."
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C. S. Lewis
"The value of myth is that it takes all the things we know and restores to them the rich significance which had been hidden by the veil of familiarity."
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Meister Eckhart
"If I spent enough time with the tiniest creature — even a caterpillar — I would never have to prepare a sermon. So full of God is every creature."
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J. Richard Middleton
"Humanity is dignified with a status and role that is analogous to the status and role of kings in the ancient Near East."
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Othmar Keel
"For the Ancients, there is a blurring between the actual and the symbolic."
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James K.A. Smith
"What Story Are You In?"