Sterling Griggs

Growing up, I played the card game Rook all the time with my friends. We had regular get togethers at our homes on weekends to play and whenever we went off to summer camp we would play late into the night by flashlight. The best part about Rook was that you were able to "trump" other cards in the game. Whatever color was called trump, that color was king and it beat the other cards on the table. And if you had the actual Rook card, you essentially ruled the Rook world for that hand. Your trump card could beat the others, even if it was lower in number. In today's world, specifically in America, it seems as if everyone is looking for their own trump card that will allow them to have things their own way. We want to express ourselves however we want regardless of the consequences. And many people will step up to affirm your personal trump card even if they don't make the same life decisions that you have chosen to make. Helping others and being tolerant has the capa...

Dear Christian Friends, Let me first say how much I love each one of you. It's amazing how brothers and sisters can be so different yet united under the banner of Jesus. I treasure all of the insights that you have given to me as we've had civilized discussions and a few healthy debates about various aspects of the Christian faith.I am eternally grateful for the men and women who have poured into and continue to invest in my life. Hugs. But (and you knew that was coming, right?) I believe that we are missing the mark greatly in the area of love. And just to keep the tone of this letter fair, I am going to address all of you as "we" because I am in the same boat. I'm preaching to the choir, if you will, although I never really enjoyed choir and don't really have the voice to pull off anything special beyond the sanctuary of my car. In fact, I would go so far to say that the most comments I hear from those who aren't Christians about those who are belie...

Not many days go by where I don't hear some sort of discussion regarding religious and spiritual issues. Usually, these dialogues (diatribes?) are fueled by opinions of what people choose to accept in order to make them the most comfortable. For instance, let's jump on something very controversial and examine alcohol. I once heard a preacher say that he would rather have a viper in his child's bed than a drop of alcohol touch his lips. That's pretty extreme to be sure, but I think you understand the sentiment. And let's be honest - alcohol has been royally abused in this country and has been responsible for broken homes and trashing lives. So when someone speaks out strongly against alcohol, I completely appreciate the emotion behind that. Yet this is where it gets kinda tricky. You see, drunkenness is explicitly condemned in the Bible but the use of alcohol is not. This is where many will adjust their suspenders and declare, "Yes, but we all know that the...

A professional athlete, a player in the NBA who is now a free agent, just came out as openly gay after living his lifestyle in secret for years. Even his biological twin brother didn't know it until he told him last year. This certainly sets a precedent as this man was the first pro athlete in a major US sport to declare that he was a homosexual. As a result, the media simply exploded with this story, with headlines and comments sounding like this: "What a courageous act this man has performed, revealing his sexuality to the whole world." "I really hope he gets picked up by a new team next year so that he can have the chance to play for the first time as openly gay." "If no one signs this guy to an NBA contract next year, that will just go to show how bigoted professional sports have become." Of course, not all of the press sang the same tune. One media figure, an ESPN sportswriter by the name of Chris Broussard, spoke out against the homosexua...