宽容的心

随便

THE STENCH OF HATRED
4 r- {) L2 V) k! c& d+ S0 B

6 t) V8 N( e2 F( H# h9 vA kindergarten teacher has decided to let her class play a game.

The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic
$ y  m1 Q) I3 F$ V
bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name

% k4 K8 I! n4 m5 Zof a person that the child hates, so the number of potatoes that

. b( [- O; u. a) oa child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number

of people he/she hates.
4 Y: V* c' T9 z: }; T; G4 |
So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with
1 l! [& J4 B7 ^: t8 v% A
1 `! E8 ]  c+ Tthe name of the people he/she hated. Some had 2 potatoes; some
6 m4 B3 N1 c* K- O2 M! x/ q# ?
# E& ~' e, |" ]+ w& _8 t3 while some up to 5 potatoes.

The teacher then told the children to carry with them the potatoes
9 C/ c) [( F  H+ Y6 q
6 |% S7 ?. _' `& o6 f: e# Sin the plastic bag wherever they go (even to the toilet) for 1 week.

& M6 A' ?3 Q, [: w+ nDays after days passed by, and the children started to complain
3 o# e" O0 q3 ], h7 k* K+ L/ r
due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides,

, b( z- U% ?, D5 `3 ^those having 5 potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After 1

week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
1 n! P# b# S4 i* M$ k
+ Y8 ]2 R/ M; b- r. `; FThe teacher asked: "How did you feel while carrying the potatoes

with you for 1 week?" The children let out their frustrations and
, j) i, U0 Q# @$ D1 ?
) a8 |# Q7 W% H8 ^+ ?4 q3 n$ cstarted complaining of the trouble that they had to go through

; h* w+ C1 o' Y0 Z" \having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they go.

( D; c8 ^1 l, ^7 z! [Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game.
- j  `% E/ @! f6 k/ c
The teacher said: "This is exactly the situation when you carry

your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred

+ j) ^: U( ?7 c3 ?9 b- ^will contaminate your heart and you will carry it with you wherever
+ p6 M$ I+ T9 Z  ?9 Q4 J
you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just

1 week, can you imagine what is it like to have the stench of hatred

in your heart for your lifetime???"

"Forgiveness is not something you do for someone else;

it is something you do for yourself.

Give yourself the gift of forgiveness"

connie

The implied meaning is simple but profound.