Over the weekend, for no reason in particular, I was thinking about the story of Robin Hood, and his lady love Maid Marian. In the Disney animated movie, toward the end, there’s a character that shouts, “Love, conquers all.”
We all know that not every story has a happy ending.
But love, in all its many various forms, does have a lot of power. Even if it can’t defeat things like death and destruction, natural disasters and disease, when it comes to the human condition, could love really, really solve all the world’s problems?
Take my theme from last week’s posts. Can love really make better the life of a child whose heart has been broken? Or an adult for that matter? Can love really move mountains?
Call me an optimist, but I believe it can. When there are no other choices, no other options for salvation, love finds a way. Yes, I am a romantic, and a dreamer and all that. It’s entirely possible that I’m biased. So I’m asking you. Do you believe love is the answer to all of the most important questions? All the worst problems? And what makes you believe one way or another?
16 comments:
oooo, what a pretty look over here Nichole. And, I agree...love can make a difference. It may not solve our problems but it can give us the strength to endure them.
Like Tess, I believe love gives us strength. With that strength, we find out we're braver, stronger, smarter, more beautiful human beings than what we are without. Because love brings all that out. Does it solve all problems and fix everything? No. But it gives us guidance we need to get through it.
You and Windy and Tess said it all! I think love makes things better, it gives us drive and hope. It's awesome. =)
Yes - drive, hope, courage, power - - all can spring from love.
Yes. But mostly especially God's love. That truly conquers all!
I think love can conquer, but it can also shatter. Call me a pessimist (or a realist) but love doesn't stay. Yes, love and time can heal all wounds, but they also cause them. Just ignore me; I'm rambling. Nice post.
(But the first line did draw me in, as I've been working on a Robin Hood story.)
I have seen great things happen with unconditional love. But that is the key it was unconditional. I think too often we use love as form of bribery or manipulation. I will only love you if you do this. Or if you do this for me you will have my love. But truely loving someone faults in all is the kind of love that I think conquers all.
If I imagine a home without money or comfort, and a very distressed mom, with lots of kids, and then I think of a man striving to give love to his wife despite it all, but she rejects him, then love doesn't conquer all--for her. Clearly, she has to be the holder of love -first- in her own heart for love to conquer all. So, maybe that's true of all people. There are friends out there, but we walk away from them; there is love around the corner, but we choose to cross the street and bypass the corner. Maybe it's that way with money, too?? There are answers, but we can't face them. We're like the lady, blinded.
Just a random thought!
PS LOVE the eye!
I feel like it's yes AND no. "Love conquers all" sometimes sounds like we think that everything is just going to turn out okay because someone loves us (or vice versa). It seems almost too easy or good to be true.
But that discounts how powerful love can be. Yes, I believe love (and probably only love) can heal the broken heart of a child (or adult). And probably the strongest vote for yes comes from 1 John: "God is love."
Love helps us conquer everything. It gives us the strength to withstand whatever comes our way.
I seriously wish love meant the same thing to everyone. I wish love could conquer all. But sadly, it does not.
For example, the father who sexually abuses his young daughter because "he loves her" - is not love.
The person who hits a child to "teach them to do what's right" is not love.
Those are pretty extreme examples, but are examples none-the-less of things people do because they "love" someone else. Each person's definition and view of love is totally different. And each of us makes choices for our loved ones that, sometimes, are not the best choice to have made. Do we do it to be mean, malicious, or to hurt them? No, we do what we do because we love them. But that doesn't mean that what we choose = "love conquers all".
To me, that phrase is just a fairytale that belongs in fiction.
Great question. I think love can be synonymous with hope. When we have hope, nothing can get us down. And because I know I am a child of God who loves me that gives me hope to keep striving each day. I guess I'm saying that love can conquer all based on a person's understanding/belief of love and the ability to love.
Love is a mover of mountains. Def!
Maybe it doesn't quite conquer all, but love might be the thing that can have the most influence, especially when you consider the five types of love: romantic, brotherly, parental, oh I forget all the names. You get the idea.
I'm loving this discussion! Since I mostly reply in email form (sorry if you're set on no-reply) I feel the need to clarify here.
When I say love, I mean real love. Unconditional love. Unselfish love. There really are a zillion different types of love, but I believe that love, in all it's many forms, is the most powerful tool we have at our disposal.
Thanks for all this wonderful input. Keep your comments coming!
I believe that in the final chapter of life, love will conquer all ... meaning the love of Jesus Christ will win against all evil.
But in every day life? No, I don't believe love conquers all in the day-to-day affairs of mankind. In fact, I believe just the opposite is true. Evil so often triumphs over good(love)for one reason. Evil never hesitates, while love always gives the benefit of the doubt before responding with action of some sort.
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