宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED


A 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

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

! P/ L" O( b2 }of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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$ m- A7 ^0 f9 P0 X& |$ @2 T: w3 u% }of people he/she hates.

$ y1 E: U3 U. {2 d* c$ o* o; w/ `* JSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

! T4 R) a. a# j* c1 b4 ^the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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  \1 V7 V5 d6 b! a3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

2 c  e+ T# X) ]- j- W$ o( C; Kin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

- m- Y' \2 l% P& Q( X# x$ a( NDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

8 l7 B+ `- l6 q: A" h& u$ j5 Edue 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
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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
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) M: ?$ A3 ]9 q( a4 s6 d* h4 Gwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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. X; `: F3 `) k6 Uhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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/ t& O9 n* w+ p6 z* H! D! jyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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& M. p' M$ T2 z( Cyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

$ ^2 w* G3 n6 q1 U% V6 M/ c- b" _7 p1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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6 O" |5 Y8 R: h6 l' x- nin your heart for your lifetime???"

% |& I  h; `# o) X1 a- v8 x"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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3 q* k& j% A/ E/ x: b/ p3 Pit is something you do for yourself.
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$ s* ^% D  I+ X! G( g$ a* fGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.