12.3.2025
Have you ever heard of the Mandela Effect? The Mandela Effect is a collective false memory, where many people share the same incorrect recollection of the same detail or event. The term was coined by Francis Broome, who while attending a conference, shared memories with other people about Nelson Mandela's death in a South African prison in the 1980s. The others remembered seeing news coverage of his death as well as a speech by his widow.
BUT! The memories were false! Nelson Mandela did not die in the 1980s in a prison—he passed away in 2013. Broome was shocked that such a large mass of people could remember the same identical event in such detail – but it never happened! And that’s why it’s called the “Mandela Effect” – masses of people remembering things that never happened.
There are lots of examples, and most are from pop culture. For example, does the rich man in a top hat in the Monopoly logo wear a monocle? I thought he did. Was there a cornucopia in the Froot of the Loom Logo? I thought there was. What about this exchange from the movie, The Empire Strikes Back:
Darth Vader: “Obi-wan never told you what happened to your father?”
Luke: “He told me enough! He told me that you killed him,”
Darth Vader: “Luke, I am your father.”
That’s the way I remember it and that’s the way it’s always quoted. But Darth Vader doesn’t say, “Luke, I am your father.” Actually, he says, “No, I am your father.” Sounds like a small difference, but for some fans it's a BIG deal. And some people will fight you over it!
How about in Disney’s 1937 Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs – what does the witch say when she looks into the magic mirror? Not “Mirror, mirror on the wall, who is the fairest of them all,” but “Magic mirror on the wall.”
It happens with the Bible, also. In fact, we have an example in my sermon text for this Sunday. In Isaiah 11, the prophet foresaw the "Peaceable Kingdom.” In the most familiar verse, the prophet saw that two natural enemies would lie down together – and one is a lamb. Which wild animal lies down with the lamb? Most people will automatically think “The lion will lie down with the lamb,” but that’s not what the scripture says.
It’s not a Lion! It’s a wolf.
It comes, in part, from the old gospel song Elvis sang, “Peace in the Valley.” The second verse says,
Well the bear will be gentle and the wolves will be tame
And the lion shall lay down by the lamb, oh yes.
Oh, no. The Lion/Lamb thing is Elvis, not Isaiah.
The Bible verse actually says, “The wolf shall live (or lie down or dwell) with the lamb . . . the calf and the lion shall feed together.” But people swear by it. Some are more willing to believe there are multiple universes and that there’s a glitch in the Matrix rather than believe they’ve misread or misheard the scripture. I read more than one person cry out, “They’re changing the Bible!”
Despite the songs and famous paintings, it’s always been wolf and lamb. Always. Here are some more famous examples of Bible misquotes you’ve probably heard:
God doesn’t give you more than you can handle – This is a misquote of 1 Corinthians 10:13, which says that you will not be tempted beyond what you can bear. The verse assures that God is faithful and will not allow temptation to exceed a person's ability to resist, but will instead provide a way to escape or overcome it. Sorry if that doesn’t help with your in-laws.
Money is the root of all evil – No, money is not the problem. This famous misquote leaves out the most important word. I Timothy 6:10 actually says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evils.” It’s not money, but the love of money that is the problem.
God works all things for good – This is another quote that leaves out the key words of the verse. Romans 8:28 actually says, “We know that all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose.” And there’s a LOT more to this, but I need to save that for another time.
Some famous quotes are mistaken for scripture. For example, “God helps those who help themselves.” comes from Benjamin Franklin, not the Bible. “Cleanliness is next to godliness” originated with John Wesley, not the Bible. “God moves in mysterious ways” is from a hymn by William Cowper, author of “There Is a Fountain Filled with Blood,” “O for a Closer Walk with God,” and the source of the quote, “God Moves in a Mysterious Way.”
Do you know how to keep from falling for misquotes and misattributions like these?
Read your Bible.
I was looking at all the reading plans we’ve offered you over the years, and if you’ve read them, you’ve covered most of the Bible and should be a long way toward creating your personal encyclopedia of Bible knowledge in your mind. If you haven’t read them, now is a great time to start. We’re just a few chapters into the gospel of Luke (today is chapter 3). The stories are familiar and you’ve had a year of preaching/teaching on most of the book, so hopefully it should open to you like never before. There’s a link to the readings in the newsletter and hard copies are available at church! Read with us!
Blessings,
Pastor Terry