Those courageous Ukrainians enduring so much to preserve their freedom, are teaching many of us something too many would rather forget. Ben Franklin’s words: “Vigilance is the cost of freedom,” along with millions of veterans’ lives sacrificed to protect what has kept us free, belong here, keeping this truth from being secret.

Too many of us need to keep hearing that valid affirmation challenging us always to remember unto whom much has been entrusted, much is required.

We are living in times of too much polarizing hate, excessive opulence, arrogance, adherence to what definitely is not valid information, leading too many astray.  Unfortunately, too many of us fail to want to understand and thankfully care about our prosperity’s blessings. 

Our prayers asking to be delivered from evil need to petition also for us to be intellectually honest, granting us empowerment to use what has been entrusted to us, in order to be part of solutions. Therein lies our hope, so many of us need to wake up to that reality. Those Ukrainians’ courage needs to teach us about sacrifice.

Truth promises freedom. Hell on Earth has been defined as truth learned too late.

Lawrence E. Merckens

Manchester