宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED

; Z1 ?9 x  p+ J( x( e! i2 s
2 V" o+ P; ?: Y$ b8 zA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

7 k3 k# A8 w- o4 kThe teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic

8 P$ ?7 ~5 ]; C" N1 i( i9 g2 z, dbag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name
1 v* ?: i6 I% \; j# w: j- b  t
! t* P. e! o& m- G( ^+ Fof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that
) _* R; t  i; w" t
9 \) M) o9 ?5 Ua child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number
3 S0 D* M" S! V$ g
+ b4 X# ?) q+ a+ @& S2 Yof people he/she hates.

So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with

the name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some

7 A. S% P% z; f3 E  T9 L6 T3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
) j; X& ~/ N% n5 ~; Q! X, ~
in the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.
, O$ g9 _/ {# T- P8 Z1 S+ \, B
- W( h1 ~  w) u2 D8 rDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain

due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

( Y; K! }! S# i& Q: X0 S, dthose having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

4 @0 F% Z/ b: f  hweek, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
. Y# U/ h3 i6 U$ R
The teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and

started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through
( L, r, a0 [* i% X% @
- k# H9 T  b/ n  Fhaving to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.
' }6 R; m# o: ~! V% S
Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.

& W; v. e0 j; Y* ]$ PThe teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry
4 u; I; L2 e9 z" Z
your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred
% X4 X8 I: i1 b% A/ n" u" `+ l$ ^
; F: t3 ?; n; N3 j5 ?$ xwill contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever

; A' a( Q6 C& A, pyou go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

0 ^: g  i: j+ |1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

in your heart for your lifetime???"

$ ]; j7 Z2 F; u% W% ]% |; Z% `; m"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

* T/ ?# z; a! E" q8 K7 Oit is something you do for yourself.
  y: S: m  Z$ N! R
Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.