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THE STENCH OF HATRED - T# W* g# y2 @+ V; t8 n7 @, M
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- p$ I Y8 \ c7 Y/ UA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. # ]% E2 h# ?; s) ~% g
' w, W6 M+ J! Z e( o; [$ n2 AThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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, y9 [) M0 y) D! @# A2 [0 kbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name & `7 K8 H6 d/ Z- `
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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 2 M! z5 z& P+ }4 ]8 e
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of people he/she hates.
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$ K, L! j1 m- x( G+ q i# ASo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with # n8 U$ `" Y+ S1 }; Y5 V
( E) ?5 [( S$ J5 V" E* s/ Rthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some ( k0 j; _1 o+ i
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes. ( H$ J7 v( l: p l% \
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
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& c6 k+ | R8 Y, X, E, s' \: U) ^( Rin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. 1 Q% k0 r8 y- R* `
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Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain 9 v+ v9 T8 \( H
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, , Z- F! e3 X. k; p' u
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those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 . P& |* z$ z1 g
; i) _6 ^( ~0 aweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended. 1 l1 ]" U* B0 u
" s' W, z; {8 f% m! HThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes
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9 x0 S- X; _6 s) Dwith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and # V0 v) [/ E, R7 F! _2 v ?. B
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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. 3 S3 y- M( |7 _ D6 y6 h% x
8 x& S7 X* z' d7 b! e7 |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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. y% W& }$ a+ k( H! }your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred * c8 X8 O% W# h. O/ ]
" H L- a2 k S% a' jwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
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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 * u: D6 Q, [7 E7 `; _8 j/ s
/ j* ~" s$ z# Y" f. @in your heart for your lifetime???" 8 m3 s- ` e) j J) w
8 q7 g9 H; a5 E$ q8 D: C1 l: {% Y"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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0 F0 P8 U5 Z# N% _8 M$ c) @8 M4 \it is something you do for yourself.
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% k- n) q. B& E) nGive yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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