When Christians realize their spiritual gifts are primarily for the joy of others, or in the case of their sexual orientation, their partner’s joy, spiritual love can be understood in terms of the use of these gifts. In Corinthians, 13: 1-13, the love of Jesus Christ—the essence of The Episcopal Church—lives through the balance of scripture, tradition and reason. When Jesus said, “No one comes to the Father, but by me,” John 14:6, I don’t think he was talking about himself as a person. He was talking about “The Word”—wisdom and reason found through the love or grace of God. Jesus is the personification of this love; so I assume no one comes to the Father, but by the love exemplified in Jesus Christ.

If I speak in the tongues of men and angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal—13:1. If I give away all I have and if I deliver my body to be burned but have not love, I grain nothing—13-3. Love is patient and kind; love is not jealous or boastful. It is not arrogant or rude. Love does not insist on its own way. It is not irritable or resentful. It does not rejoice at wrong, but rejoices in the right. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things and endures all things—13:4-7.

Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away, as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. For our knowledge is imperfect and our prophesy is imperfect; but when the perfect comes, the imperfect will pass away—13:8-11.

When I was a child, I spoke, thought and reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face—13:12. So faith, hope, love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. Make love your aim, and earnestly desire the spiritual gifts, especially that you may prophesy—14:1.

Innate spiritual love—the love of Jesus Christ—is expressed in The Episcopal Church through philos, agape and eros. In The Episcopal Church the importance of putting the joy of others ahead of self, and in the case of eros, your partner’s happiness ahead of your own fleeting exhilaration, has become tradition. To Episcopalians it’s not about the use of body parts but the awareness of human equality and the love of Jesus Christ as lived through God’s grace. Through spiritual love we glimpse that peace which passes human understanding.

Episcopalians don’t confuse love with lust. Casual sex isn’t spiritual sex! Only with the intent to be monogamous can one expect to establish and maintain a spiritual sexual connection with another human being. Sexual orientation isn’t important! The intent to be monogamous, committed and partner oriented is. We all have the capacity to put the joy of another human being ahead of our own selfish interests, and as Jesus Christ commanded, through philos and agape, to love our neighbors as we love ourselves.

Potentially an inspiration to all as it embraces new insight into God’s creation with the balance of scripture, tradition and reason, The Episcopal Church graciously embodies and fervently shares the enduring love of Jesus Christ with those who crave an understanding of God’s grace.