宽容的心

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THE STENCH OF HATRED

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3 v: \$ T3 }' S+ U6 w. R% I, J: o3 ?A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

# C4 [0 w  W6 z3 w$ U. K& pThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
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/ I, x: W6 R. B5 N3 C! Pbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

of a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

* q9 F4 J8 A0 b/ Ka child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.
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/ w  M' ^% J6 K3 X: z. d; `% DSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

' X* E: k$ ?. d! m2 Nthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

3 while some up to 5 potatoes.
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' E: m5 \, f+ {/ g% [4 kThe teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes

& n( j7 ~8 i6 M! v) xin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

Days 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,
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0 r1 s  b( @' H& Jthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

1 k2 r4 Q. Q& X, M) O& N- }week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.

The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

# k" K! z; z1 Ewith you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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# I% a& ^: i" R# F7 ghaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

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

' X- Y7 P2 r  yThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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+ |4 A( t8 Q) v4 f- I& Xyour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

  j( o" v+ Q, ~) E$ owill 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

0 h0 h% b: c+ l& V3 F1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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in your heart for your lifetime???"
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6 x9 ~, C) t8 X1 k- W"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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+ D9 ?( k3 U, q. a* M$ Yit is something you do for yourself.
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1 E' _& ^8 I$ f& w9 A6 IGive yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.