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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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$ i; F+ {; g% l4 NA 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
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- K- B! @( _, C" _1 R3 S* M/ \bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
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2 u. d7 G! h8 x+ ~$ R% X* Uof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that 2 t( A G9 A4 r. K8 W% l# x ?
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a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
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+ Y4 u( n7 I% i) z9 @1 Rof people he/she hates. 6 d- c; l3 F4 V0 ]5 h/ W: G
" ~( J( ?7 u+ o8 YSo when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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- B U" N1 L4 e- L3 ]+ G4 Z( E0 \3 while some up to 5 potatoes. / C; f9 C* C2 Y! d# ^9 Z
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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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$ Q0 ~) a9 |0 Q, k+ }Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain # o& {- I! b+ ]# S; E7 V! y" V& R
3 [. \+ ~: X% Odue to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,
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* X$ L3 Y2 G3 T8 ]6 R; c. [2 f) uthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 4 I0 B3 m; N4 c# E4 x
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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 I" E# i$ c" o
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with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
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$ J7 |# U0 ?( {# m/ Estarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
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5 d; ` u& ?3 xhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go. 3 y4 M( E: @: [$ g9 C& d
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Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. + k; ^* k: L+ p+ J2 Z0 Q# }" V
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The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry 7 U) s, O$ z, Q* A
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your 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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# t; N" f0 @$ Q- S1 X) myou 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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7 _& W4 b# v7 h5 Sin your heart for your lifetime???"
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5 }! w9 _5 Y9 G9 s6 ]- H"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else; * ^1 r: i8 s; w N2 G
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it is something you do for yourself.
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Give yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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