宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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# E1 H/ Z& ~# U) nThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

, t, H$ a' Y2 O1 `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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of people he/she hates.
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0 O2 h8 k3 c# @" @. NSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

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

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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6 P+ ~4 y! `& Q/ xThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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1 e3 p2 C8 M- @in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

9 r4 `9 R  X  }1 R9 b% T% uDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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- z1 i, {' ]4 X$ s3 k2 {due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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: d- }- f: X7 Y4 `* f$ C( D, o* rthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

; v  L* V/ W! @7 J% w4 f  vweek, 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
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$ K/ p3 ~0 U9 U4 d+ [" jwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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* d4 j) h, X; |1 `/ Vstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

1 Y" @2 L0 w$ @9 A& B- jhaving 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.
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

4 O& D9 t# I5 Y, zwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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# y& i& k' _) tyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

in your heart for your lifetime???"

"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.

& b# X# W$ B0 G: v! q2 _6 ]Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.