I recall hearing the phrase “love conquers all” hundreds of times throughout the years, and I often thought it was at best wishful thinking and at worst a naive view of the world.  Whoever said this drivel obviously did not live in the real world.  The real world has love, yes- but also war and hate and abuse.  How can we possibly say love conquers all with a straight face?

The phrase “love conquers all” points to a deep, transformative truth — but it’s not about romantic love or idealism. It’s about unconditional love — care and compassion.  This type of love allows us to move through difficult times with grace and kindness.

This type of love isn’t soft or passive. It’s fierce. It’s the love that stands up for justice, protects the vulnerable, and tells the truth even when it’s hard. It conquers all not by avoiding struggle, but by moving through it.

This is the kind of love that I have often witnessed when I attend events in our community on behalf of Ruth’s House.  At these events, I always meet regular folks who exhibit support, care, compassion, and love for others.  Two such community events where I’ve met people who embraced this type of love are Northfield Pride in the Park and the Faribault International Festival.  At Northfield Pride in the Park, I met a woman who was simply giving out Mom Hugs to anyone who came by.  Everyone who got a hug walked away changed in a very good way.  At the International Festival, I met a woman who was caring for a disabled community member.  She demonstrated extraordinary patience and love for the person under her care.  I also met a former resident of Ruth’s House who, despite very difficult times in her life, had prevailed and was exhibiting unbelievably sweet and loving parenting skills with her little girl.  Yep- love can conquer all.

Finally, I would like to leave you with a message of hope written by Najwa Zebian:

Every day, tell yourself this:

Keep your heart kind

No matter how dark the world gets.

You own only yourself.

You can only control your actions.

Keep your heart beautiful.

The world needs that.

I say this to myself every day, too.

This message of hope seems to be something that could benefit all of us in our Rice County community.

Susan Stout
Ruth’s House/Sarah’s House Outreach Coordinator