宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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" A& y+ W: H" w1 i" r2 jA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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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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of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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  {) y# t& d/ uof people he/she hates.
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8 ?- ]& V+ e& `! P! vSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

1 l6 |) U4 a: s6 r3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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; n' Z- T' s* x6 L! z  n4 QThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

. }! p3 O: x* K# d% A: L2 @1 W# ~9 Hin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days 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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$ X: @! y/ R2 {4 T+ Nthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

- d$ p4 B* Q+ @4 D4 T: G* `! Fweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

7 Y, M% X: h# s* K' {- I( {0 x0 NThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

  B, @* R/ x& fwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

" I6 V2 h! J/ t9 dhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

# J  ?' \3 w% m# b8 ]! O# A8 pThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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) |7 O7 e8 r) C0 Q" l  `$ q( XThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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, }# I3 o2 l! N3 iyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

2 E; r, l/ S& K$ r4 ~will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

) \% B6 r, D6 N1 ^/ Tyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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: S; E  Y7 v3 min your heart for your lifetime???"

"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.
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) x) q0 q' a8 HGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.