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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. 3 W+ R4 F) o' x Z. R
q+ H8 h2 B( k' {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 4 y2 o v: J/ `3 T& v- \: t" s
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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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4 T D, X8 [+ C7 ?( S+ w$ ra child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number : Y- _) l0 I, a: Z! [- F
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of people he/she hates. + i6 J1 s! W1 N+ _- ^) B
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So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with 0 R6 F; F7 T+ m; l2 q
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the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some + O% l% A5 a- U" O/ _% J2 e$ \
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes ! c1 g5 y" c7 P8 o" n3 x9 A# I) g
* U: q8 f/ f% Q& N" ?5 R# @8 min the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. 0 W& R4 A% u# z0 z! W3 V( G
! r4 v& m* B/ J0 O# b- kDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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) m/ i! J. h9 @3 r+ Athose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 * Q) D& v6 @: v+ }
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes # i6 a" d/ l1 v3 l. Y/ A- P5 {
+ X9 p; m. m/ N7 @with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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4 ^$ N" b/ g6 T3 e7 X7 p7 gstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. 1 g2 V. Q! _% }
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry & n4 i l" u ~: B6 T+ S
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your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred 1 I* P6 K( M0 M4 `7 L) i
7 t; d5 m o. E: v# Pwill 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
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1 E% X, x5 ?& y+ F" \% B1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred " h) [3 Z% a$ Y3 k. i) C
& s' |7 }5 e* f a" U2 \in your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; 4 H' W* B6 ~& {9 S4 ^& A+ Z
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it is something you do for yourself.
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8 [$ d( ^# O, E' P9 b; l3 k6 OGive yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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