Meaning and Context: Creation

For nearly 3,000 years, the Judeo-Christian account of creation has remained a puzzling story of seemingly conflicting details. After a lifetime of comparative religious study and scientific research into the structure of miracles, bestselling author, Rod Martin, Jr. has tackled the story of our beginnings in the context of the whole Bible, his experience with spiritual action, and the purpose for this entire physical universe. Instead of attempting to finalize the meanings of scripture, Martin has long realized that God needs us to be perpetually humble—meek and vigilant. The author bases this idea on the fact that no one is omniscient, and, thus, every one of us will always have more to learn; and humility is the only way we can learn. Too many come to a subject with preconceived notions that block learning. Accordingly, Martin offers these essays on the creation story as alternate interpretations which aim to provoke us to reduce ego to zero so that we can view scripture as spirit. Meaning and Context: Creation offers a brief discussion of each verse, and then separate essays to look at the overall story from different, thematic viewpoints, including, • Blueprint and Construction—Comparing God's handiwork to earthly construction projects. • Dual Nature of Man—Analyzing God's two creations of "man," both the spiritual and physical sides. • Mirror of God—A look at how the traits of God are reflected darkly in the structure of physical reality. • Perfecting—The purpose of everything that God has created. • The Arrow of Heaven—Truth is spiritual in nature, so physical words can do little more than point in the general direction of that Truth. This is part of the humility we need to maintain.

Rod Martin, Jr. was born in West Texas, United States. He has been a Hollywood artist, a software engineer with a degree summa cum laude, a writer, web designer and a college professor.
Rod Martin's interests have ranged from astronomy to ancient history, physics to geology, and graphics arts to motion pictures.
He has studied comparative religion, worked as a lay minister and spiritual counselor, and taught ethics in college.
While doing graphic arts in Hollywood, he also studied electronic engineering. In 1983, as Carl Martin, he published his first novel, "Touch the Stars: Emergence," co-authored by John Dalmas (Tor Books, NY). He continues to write science fiction under that pen name.
Later, switching careers to computers and information technology, Mr. Martin worked for Control Data, Ceridian Payroll, Bank of America, Global Database Marketing and IPRO Tech. He also created "Stars in the NeighborHood" 3D astronomy space software.
He currently resides in the Philippines with his wife, Juvy. He has taught information technology, mathematics and professional ethics at Benedicto College, in Cebu. He continues to teach online and to write books and blogs.