宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

! V- X4 u' z' U. r# J. iThe 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

of people he/she hates.
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So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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* d, x9 N" s4 Q: c. t/ Cthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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$ S5 o7 E/ v! Q4 M4 I$ E; ain the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

( C. C9 @- n5 U+ V3 M0 i* vDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

) |3 `! |1 h$ w: cdue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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# y" m$ j# m$ C( R$ _9 Y+ `3 Tthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1
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6 ?+ V$ R2 u' W8 C2 eweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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/ l/ h" ~7 {' O6 n) i" v2 F$ O/ vThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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6 v8 H+ h: i- F' m: m! K; H& ^started 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.
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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6 n  h* |6 x/ m; h) D5 N: N& ?your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

: k2 Y6 ]8 M3 i' z+ Oyou 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.
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( q' K) k. w- s6 OGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.