A boy confides in his father about his hatred for a friend who hurt him.

The father said, “forgive him, get rid of your hatred.”

“I can’t, Dad. I hate him very much.” The boy insisted.

“Well then alright, now go to sleep, tomorrow morning we have something to do,” said the father.

In the morning, the father had prepared a sack of pebbles hung on the back fence door. “Try to imagine this sack as the embodiment of your friend, then focus your hatred on your fist and beat it as hard and as much as you can,” the father told his son.

The son obeyed his father’s orders. But only 3 hard blows he was already in pain in his hands, bruised and bleeding.

“Does the friend you hate feel the pain you are suffering right now?” the father asked.

“Of course not,” said the boy.

The father began to exhort. “That’s how it happened to your heart, my son. Hatred only hurts your own heart, the friend you hate will not suffer more than your heart. Even if you hit him, the pain he feels will not exceed the pain of your heart.

“Maybe he was injured by your punch, but his external wound will heal quickly, while your hatred will not decrease, even greater overwhelming your heart. That’s also what happens when someone hates you, his hatred will not make you suffer more than his.”

There is no point in keeping hatred in the heart, because it will only hurt yourself. Smile when our hearts hurt. Do not let hatred grow in our hearts, because when the seed of evil flourishes it will one day destroy our lives.

Have mercy and pray for those who hate us, for indeed the suffering in their hearts is much deeper.

Hatred stirs up conflict,
but love covers over all wrongs.