Finding Unconditional Love in Team Rubicon

David Petersen

Clay Hunt Fellows Program alumni and Australian Army veteran David Petersen shares how unconditional love exemplifies our mission.

Team Rubicon is unconditional love in action. It is love without prejudice for race, age, wealth, political affiliation, health, gender or sexual orientation. It is love without compromise for those who need it the most. It is love without concern for seasons, weather or terrain. Team Rubicon is unconditional love, for our fellow humans, when we all need it the most.

Team Rubicon has the power to show our families and friends that love can and does look like a Greyshirt in action. Love can look like a complete stranger; covered in mud, sweat, and tears; under your house removing moldy insulation after you have experienced your worst day.

When Team Rubicon deploys to a disaster zone, the weather is either hot or cold – never comfortable. The homes are either devastated or untouched. The residents are either terrified of the unknown or thankful to have what is left. The disaster can still be occurring or have left its damage long ago, it is never easy. One thing is always the same though. The need for unconditional love.

When you need unconditional love. Call Team Rubicon. Because when you call Team Rubicon into your community, your home and into your life; we bring love. Love without limits or conditions.

We bring a professional knowledge of disaster zones, we bring trained volunteers with muscles and good looks, we bring heavy equipment and chainsaws and an attitude to ‘Get Shit Done’; but most of all, we come without limitations or conditions to the love we are going to give.

For many of the Greyshirts, we are veterans. Many of us went into combat knowing that those beside us would come to our aid if the worst was to happen. We have seen, felt and experienced unconditional love in combat, a place that many would never think to look for it. Something about unconditional love is addictive. Like all addictions, it gets into your blood. It is in our blood.

So, what happens when Team Rubicon comes into a community with unconditional love? It spreads. The community sees something that is infectious and addictive. The community rallies. The community begins to believe in itself, again. The community reignites its willingness to love their neighbors without limitations or conditions.

How does Team Rubicon know about unconditional love? Because we have just seen it. We have just seen it in Midland, Michigan. We’ve seen families who had lost everything, offer to help others in their time of need. We’ve seen it in neighbors helping neighbors get back on their feet with humility. We’ve seen individuals, families, organizations, and businesses donate what they could to help their community.

We’ve seen, felt and experienced unconditional love from the people of Midland, Michigan. Who continue to love unconditionally, continue to serve and continue to seek no return or favor from their actions, words or deeds. Showcasing unconditional love allows you to look yourself in the mirror and smile. Just like the community of Midland, Michigan can look itself in the mirror and know that it has demonstrated to itself what unconditional love looks like. It looks like Midland, Michigan.

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