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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( h4 T  ]' P# @% bThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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5 R9 c) L, S9 s9 {3 f# Kbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

0 q% R8 t+ I. p0 N' M4 R8 _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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+ c3 ~0 }4 G/ g( [  R5 MSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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3 _& F( U$ ~. V, ^( o, qthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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; e) }& g! w# R  R! g" j$ m: {( S5 x: }/ @in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain

& l$ z; O5 e  ^8 Gdue 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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  V# J) M/ ~$ |% p  R6 }0 `* J" nweek, 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

# E* q$ U. C6 l; }5 e/ G, H* Ywith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

; D5 R% l: E, B) n5 Hstarted 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.

Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
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% C5 O% c5 y% P2 Y/ v/ G( P% g4 GThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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+ }0 A( s' ~1 B6 v! \your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
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4 w1 ?5 {$ E$ ^! x# lwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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2 g5 b) A! a9 m0 d1 ]) Oyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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  B7 k" b% Q. ?4 R! u1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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$ _! D8 V- x6 I8 rin your heart for your lifetime???"

"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

6 a5 U) C) b- D. B, w, y- b5 Oit is something you do for yourself.
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- f, B6 J0 b, I0 hGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.