Remembering Good People, Doing Good Works

Nearly everywhere you go in the Philippines, you see the name José Rizal. His image is found on coins and postage stamps, in living rooms and classrooms. His name lives on in countless city streets, monuments, and plazas, including this large urban park on the eastern shore of Manila Bay. It was in this area in 1896 that José Rizal was executed at age 35 for his involvement in the Philippine Revolution. Today it is known as Rizal Park.

Among other things, José Rizal was a physician, traveler, poet, and patriot. Every year on December 30, a national holiday commemorates his life. And an impressive monument in Rizal Park commemorates his sacrifice for the cause of independence in this beautiful land.

It is good to remember those who have passed on. We remember their good works, their admirable qualities, and the ways they improved the lives of others. Every country has such heroes, and so does every family—people who have made a difference in the world or even just in an individual life. National heroes, beloved family members, treasured mentors, and good friends—they’re all engaged in the same great work, and they’re all worth honoring.

Our names may never be on a city street or park, but that doesn’t mean our efforts are unnoticed or insignificant. Most of the good done in the world is done quietly, simply, even anonymously—and usually one on one. Caring and praying for others, showing compassion and kindness toward people around us may not get our names or faces engraved on a monument, but it will leave a far more lasting impression on the hearts and minds of the people we love.

Jesus Christ “went about doing good” (Acts 10:38), and His service was to those who were in no position to repay Him with riches, honor, and glory. But He knew that even when no one else sees our efforts, God sees them. “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these … ,” Jesus declared, “ye have done it unto me” (Matthew 25:40). That’s the kind of service that outlives street names and monuments. Those are good works that live forever.