Over the past weekend, America watched as a 20-year-old tried to snuff out the life of Former President Trump, killed one person, and injured two others. What has happened to us? We have become the “Divided States of America” instead of the United States of America! We are a culture that has bred and pushed hate for a long time, and it continues in a vicious cycle. Many are tired of this hate and want to see more of the love that Jesus demonstrated in the Word. Thanks to President Biden for taking the lead to encourage our nation to tone down the rhetoric and come together in unity. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. affirmed, “Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.” No matter who you are and what you believe, stop the evil rhetoric, and let’s become “one nation under God.”
Please ponder and share this story, “How Long can You keep Hate in Your Heart,” about an experiment that a teacher used to teach her students a lesson about hate.
“A kindergarten teacher had decided to let her class play a game. The teacher told each child in the class to bring along a plastic bag containing a few potatoes. Each potato will be given a name of a person that the child hates. So the number of potatoes that a child will put in his/her plastic bag will depend on the number of people he/she hates.
“So when the day came, every child brought some potatoes with the names of the people he/she hated. Some had two potatoes, some three, while some had up to five potatoes. The teacher then told the children to carry the potatoes in the plastic bag with them wherever they went for one week. Days passed, and the children started to complain due to the unpleasant smell let out by the rotten potatoes. Besides, those having five potatoes also had to carry heavier bags. After one week, the children were relieved because the game had finally ended.
“The teacher asked: ‘How did you feel while carrying the potatoes with you for one week?’ The children let out their frustrations and started complaining of the trouble that they had to go through having to carry the heavy and smelly potatoes wherever they went.
“Then the teacher told them the hidden meaning behind the game. She said: ‘This is exactly the situation when you carry your hatred for somebody inside your heart. The stench of hatred will contaminate your heart, and you will carry it with you wherever you go. If you cannot tolerate the smell of rotten potatoes for just one week, can you imagine what it is like to have the stench of hatred in your heart for your lifetime?’”
Have a wonderfully blessed week of loving others, and never leave home without Him!
