Buddhist Catholic Contemplative Evangelical General Christian Hindu Jewish Latter-day Saint Muslim New Visions Progressive Christian

Beliefs

Topics

Columnists

Resource Library

Research Tools

Video

Podcasts

Thought Readers

Faith In Media Tracker

Newsletters

Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In Subscription Support

Follow Patheos

Home
Progressive Christian
Religion News
A Concise Theology of Love.: Death Row Ruminations (1 of 7. Keith LaMar & Jeff Hood)

A Concise Theology of Love.: Death Row Ruminations (1 of 7. Keith LaMar & Jeff Hood)

Last updated on: June 4, 2022 at 1:38 am by Jeff Hood

A Concise Theology of Love.: Death Row Ruminations (1 of 7. Keith LaMar & Jeff Hood) 2022-06-04T01:38:17-06:00 Jeff Hood

LOGO Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! Patheos has the views of the prevalent religions and spiritualities of the world.

A Concise Theology of Love.: Death Row Ruminations (Keith LaMar & Jeff Hood)

This concise theology of love was constructed by The Rev. Dr. Jeff Hood (Dean, The New Theology School) after a recent night of dialogue/conversation with Ohio Death Row philosopher, Keith LaMar. Of particular consequence, is Hood’s consistent interaction with Lamar’s slogan, “Love is the only freedom.”

Let’s reset. Let’s breathe. Let’s love.

There is a need to breathe.

What does love look like? Visualize. Love.

There is a need to think.

Love comes to us in the earliest of places. Love comes to us in our villages. No matter where we move or where we go…love is there. We take our villages with us. Love is community. Love is acceptance. Love is us.

There is no love without us.

Love is a place for us all to begin. Love is a place to build a community. Has such a place ever existed? It can. We are all connected. We are all responsible for each other. Your child is my child. Your mother is my mother. Your hope is my hope. The beginning of the loving community is to realize such things…and work to make them more real every day. Our realist reality is love…everything else is fake.

There is nothing real besides love.

Love is the only freedom. Love is our only freedom from the fake. Love is not easily achieved but it is always better than the alternative…denying truth. When we choose to other people we are choosing to deny who they are…their truth. That’s why we got so much hate in this world…so many prisons. The goal of love is to be free and to make others free. Love is freedom’s oxygen. Without love there is no ability to breathe. So, it makes sense that it is also true that love and freedom are one and the same. So, when you have love you have freedom. That’s why nobody can imprison you…you’re always the one who imprisons yourself. Our primary desire must always be to cling to our only freedom…our love.

There is no way out without love.

There is freedom in learning to love yourself…perhaps that’s where all freedom begins…or ends. The problem is that we got so many people running around talking about love and freedom who have never taken the time to think about love and freedom. How can you talk about love and freedom when you spend every day talking about hate and bondage? Love is freedom from the hate and bondage within.

There is no way in without love.

Love is also change. In fact, it speaks to our stamina with regards to change. Do we love enough to work to find the truth? Do we love enough to work to uncover the truth? Do we love enough to work to be the truth? Do we love enough to change? Do we love enough to fight for freedom…for love?

There is no way without love.

Previous Post

May 3, 2022

Lamentations: On Carman Deck's Execution

Next Post

May 30, 2022 A Concise Theology of Love. (2 of 7. Beware): Death Row Ruminations (Thoughts from an Extended Dialogue with Keith LaMar)

Browse Our Archives

Select a Category Danny & Jeff fresh writings latest poetics north texas fellowship of reconciliation Sermon theology from death row Thoughts Uncategorized

Select a Month October 2026 September 2026 August 2026 July 2026 June 2026 May 2026 April 2026 March 2026 February 2026 January 2026 December 2025 November 2025 October 2025 September 2025 August 2025 June 2025 May 2025 April 2025 March 2025 January 2025 December 2024 November 2024 October 2024 August 2024 July 2024 June 2024 May 2024 April 2024 March 2024 February 2024 January 2024 December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023 July 2023 May 2023 April 2023 March 2023 February 2023 January 2023 December 2022 November 2022 October 2022 September 2022 August 2022 July 2022 June 2022 May 2022 April 2022 March 2022 February 2022 January 2022 December 2021 November 2021 October 2021 September 2021 July 2021 June 2021 May 2021 April 2021 March 2021 February 2021 January 2021 December 2020 November 2020 October 2020 September 2020 August 2020 July 2020 June 2020 May 2020 April 2020 March 2020 February 2020 January 2020 December 2019 November 2019 October 2019 September 2019 August 2019 July 2019 May 2019 March 2019 February 2019 January 2019 December 2018 November 2018 October 2018 September 2018 August 2018 July 2018 June 2018 May 2018 April 2018 March 2018 February 2018 January 2018 December 2017 November 2017 October 2017 September 2017 August 2017 July 2017 June 2017 May 2017 April 2017 March 2017 February 2017 January 2017 December 2016 October 2016 September 2016 August 2016 July 2016 June 2016 May 2016 April 2016 March 2016 February 2016 January 2016 December 2015 November 2015 October 2015 September 2015 August 2015 July 2015 June 2015 May 2015 April 2015 March 2015 February 2015 January 2015 December 2014 November 2014 October 2014 September 2014 August 2014 July 2014 June 2014 May 2014 April 2014 March 2014 February 2014 January 2014 December 2013 November 2013 October 2013 September 2013 August 2013 July 2013 June 2013 May 2013 April 2013 March 2013

TAKE THE

Religious Wisdom Quiz

What does "do not worry about tomorrow" teach?

Select your answer to see how you score.

Trust God for the future Ignore everything Only seek money Worry all the time