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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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1 E- X9 N6 v. SA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.
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! r3 c2 Y) |& PThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic # h' r _/ h+ q2 C1 G1 v# q+ i
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bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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1 `7 e; @2 x6 O7 k2 V" [$ `1 |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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& W: \# w1 b- d T- Lof people he/she hates. 7 o8 \5 v: A' N* C2 c) ^3 c
^, {( }1 m6 jSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with ) |6 e8 S Q: G0 y/ Z, |0 [
4 R$ E- X/ ~4 O: nthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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# R* `* w5 R6 N; m: N* J. L# |$ W, T3 while some up to 5 potatoes. ! Z3 T! `5 F( R3 g a6 D% r" Q
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes ! o1 p1 K% @5 Y# T( B
1 Q: @1 r, j# ]- C! ^5 H0 @in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. 7 k, C. Y3 W: D( i& q* i. { N; V
5 Y: S$ Y: ^; r! G+ [7 ODays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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8 w! g; G/ q" xdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 7 Z; ]$ L y. b4 J7 p
* L. |/ ]2 H7 q& P7 K: p( Dweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended. 3 f; C8 B! j% Q3 C! Y9 y
4 z$ `6 h" Q9 u' DThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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, o! z" o/ D7 ]9 Bwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and , X* t0 }1 h( a
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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7 W$ p1 J1 d( |/ F* n& K- e7 lhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. 6 U3 |5 V8 D: C- c( U
* [3 I: J. Z1 u; c# JThen 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 / }) l, M* b# W5 c" q1 L* U
* C' H0 s; {0 _+ R" j$ uwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever + D( U! }6 D7 k% @9 [: t$ Y. L5 R
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you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just 5 _/ d0 x) I) l7 ?3 U8 z( i6 |: Q
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1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred % Q. n! x* Q% ~) N7 [4 R- J/ [
& s+ o, j4 a8 l- S, I3 q4 ?in your heart for your lifetime???"
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; " R. `! |% M+ y* I; Q
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it is something you do for yourself. ! ^# T2 B+ Q$ y; K% {6 i
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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