compost

The Bible is like a compost pile. The idea comes from Walter Brueggemann:

The Bible is the compost pile that provides material for new life. I do not use this figure as an irreverent metaphor to suggest that the Bible is “garbage.” Rather, I use it to suggest that the Bible itself is not the actual place of new growth. Our present life, when we undertake new growth, is often inadequate, arid, or even barren. It needs to be enriched, and for that enrichment, we go back to the deposits of old growth that have been discarded, but that continue to ferment and may contain resources for a way to new life. (Walter Brueggemann, Texts Under Negotiation p.61-62)

It's not a disrespectful metaphor, but rather a picture of how God actually works in our lives. We don't spend our days guarding the compost pile, covering it up to make to look nice. And yet, we sometimes treat the Bible with gloves as if it were a museum piece. Compost is part of gardening & gardening is full of dirt and mud and sweat and sometimes holding your nose.

God works in the messes of our lives and transforms us in the midst of the manure. The Bible is not the end, it is God's means to work in us. The words of Scripture nourish our lives so that God's life grows in us.