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THE STENCH OF HATRED
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A kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game. 4 O, `+ l! M z4 M6 Z0 Z# T0 M
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The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic 4 j( f; ]8 C6 h$ M) S
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bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name 8 l% K# \2 F% H& y- P
9 `# s& f5 Z6 k+ Yof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
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5 q& ?; b& _) T! ^. o& Fa child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number 2 K; g, K Q, J/ H- r5 `' k# _% l. g
}' v' |. m3 }of people he/she hates.
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So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
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& k5 }% g# q6 @: L! `the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
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3 while some up to 5 potatoes. ' ?6 |1 x( {/ J- r
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The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes j; w$ k: s k7 w/ A3 q7 n9 [4 j1 J
. j& y( n1 z- D! A6 _! Kin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week. 8 N) s, P. u0 v
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Days after days passed by, and the children started to complain ' A. S* B% f1 }; ~
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due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, ' E/ B. l7 D0 t. a, Z/ o4 b0 U
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those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1 % W, l( l6 o) R
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week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
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' ]9 r( p# e* g: P b+ v7 J/ bThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes 5 G+ H* b( u1 x* T" \! A; O
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with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and : ^2 Y) j0 U. U( ]8 x' d
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started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through ( d1 J! R q/ K# M% O( O
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having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
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8 `; g7 z5 H$ O# Y: U7 y( wThen the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. : C! h |+ d7 F H
; f4 F" D, V' J) @$ uThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
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0 b7 Y p7 O& T! byour hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred 0 W5 }* y% E, g* a) u0 V
' F, E, I N# r. Z3 H: uwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever # Q8 K* A f9 l9 Q5 ~% D
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you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just
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1 _ N3 h% ~1 w9 n+ F4 @1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred
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! @' {+ w) f. J# ^' z. v0 Hin your heart for your lifetime???"
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4 |# ^( ^ f4 @9 e7 ~8 G"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;
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# p1 A+ p0 P+ E" |it is something you do for yourself.
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& J, F3 l5 z7 TGive yourself the gift of forgiveness" |
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