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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. , q+ f' x" a* N3 Z' y# L4 p9 j) p& i
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The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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4 d) f# a1 C2 O7 r T0 Nbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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T3 |$ M) u- ]! _+ r/ ^of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that , p$ H! s- F' A
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a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number 9 S4 [' A! e0 [& Z
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of people he/she hates. 4 I. `# B2 w v: J4 }2 b2 ^
9 W% ~% u! n/ B; U7 wSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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9 P. D0 L/ o+ A* q, B6 }the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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: `. S; N j' I3 while some up to 5 potatoes. ' F k7 {7 R- u m+ k( B: z
+ a5 Q1 Q( c& }& a. {The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
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2 l6 s! }/ U0 i: L' ~1 u% gDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, 2 R, J) ~& r! U1 J6 L4 o* R
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those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 . Q; A3 L+ L7 t. C7 T
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended. : f1 N) L4 d5 x. S" q9 B6 r
) U* N$ S* k2 r' zThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes 4 f! `5 z$ r2 F7 F& v" V: m: C) U
( h8 V' _" o3 r5 R* c0 O R0 |+ twith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and : O" p- p! K; P: n2 f
/ E3 Q8 N- p ^' t* B, Zstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through 5 N; i! y K6 q0 \. @- j
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. % _( _( }1 E/ r$ u
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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 ( E: ?% ~( {( F+ K3 y: V- G
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your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred 3 J( [& f* {; L4 h
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will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever . O1 \; f6 Y+ I
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you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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" |2 [/ R' @( ?5 K+ ]in your heart for your lifetime???" # y b2 C$ P# G- O$ `$ q& b* ^ |) |9 e
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"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; 9 G. K; F0 X6 l6 F3 E" z, P+ f
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it is something you do for yourself.
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+ x0 B! B2 E) F; G' MGive yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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