Oprah and Stephen Colbert swap favorite Bible verses

(Image credit: Late Show)

published 16 October 2015

On Thursday's Late Show, Oprah Winfrey told Stephen Colbert that in her view, faith and belief are different. People can believe in lots of things — she used hard work as an example — and not connect it to any deity, but "faith is knowing that, no matter what, you're going to be okay." Oprah said she falls more in the "faith" camp, and has since she was a young girl, preaching the Gospel in school. Colbert asked if she has a favorite Bible verse, and she does, and it turns out Colbert does, too.

Colbert is more of a New Testament guy, it seems — he chose Matthew 6:25, which he described as a "commandment to not worry," which he likes even if he can't live it. "If you worry, you're being disobedient." Oprah chose an Old Testament verse, Psalm 37:4. "It says to me," she explained, "if you focus on being a force for good, then goodness will come." She added that this is also basically the same message as the Third Law of Motion and karma and the Golden Rule. Colbert had one more thing it was like, and you can watch this unusual bit of late-night television below. Peter Weber

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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.