宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED

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& }( _- \6 B% C+ @% V2 f0 nA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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$ g% W% }' @$ r* X! Y) |The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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" e6 \3 z* e- w, C- b5 jof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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of people he/she hates.

# Y  h: R4 R( K1 ~6 n5 a  V( J- BSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

1 |% N" `# D  Fthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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" \/ ?. Y% J+ l' m: y3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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8 C/ X" V# n* uThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

* h) w/ e+ ~2 Q  ?9 l: y" H" kDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

, {9 d8 U/ I' Q- g" S% nthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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$ {5 x8 p* W, b+ n7 l3 n6 Z) Pweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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) }) L# @: \& A! u6 x4 Q; WThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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! n% z; a: h- A0 }! G$ ?$ c( u( _having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

3 Z- R( X; O  {/ cThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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2 X$ C& x+ ~7 g9 O$ lThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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- }; D0 d6 L8 Hyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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% Z# `3 @" O, n- e& j, c$ qwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

) c( j2 c1 L) v+ i  _$ M1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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6 F# n( V0 t% x1 L8 S- tin your heart for your lifetime???"
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' Y2 j2 {& u; ?: e* P) Q"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.