Memorial: Eulalio “Lalo” Calderon

On Wednesday May 15th 2019 at 4:45 am, my grandfather passed into eternity. His legacy reminds those of us still in this life that our short time impacts so many for generations to come. Will us successors choose to inherit this noble heritage – timeless fortitude amid the chaos of our fallen world? Will we bear the responsibility of maintaining livelihoods one day at a time? Yes, a sober mindedness not easily swayed by neither social trend nor cultural norm.

Grandpa was a man whom daily tended his garden. Family and community received the gifts of his hands. On top of serving action was integrity in word. This was decades of sustaining life, creating order in spite of not acquiring riches or glory. He was a father to orphans, as well as a provider to widows. Unlike so many of us, his prejudices came second to a compassionate respect for neighbors. Not a man of sophisticated faith, yet he was disciplined in right living.

A sharp reminder for my life is whether or not I have lived with integrity, a fortitude that stands before difficult situation and painful circumstance. Have I spoken truth, practicing what is good before the eyes of God, maintaining beauty in others’ lives? More importantly, have I done so with a spirit growing into a fortress grounded against the deception of sin, including the pleasure of evil? Do I choose the strength of almighty Christ or the fear of mortal man? Do I live what I believe in?

I know it is spoken for many when I say, thank you Lord, for our dear Lalo. As the priest said prior the lowering of the casket, God gifted him to us for such a time before the return to the dirt. For the rest of his descendants, we press on. We are still in the race. The fight is still ours to have. There is still a garden to be tended. Do we choose to do so with greater fortitude, or do we live only to influence the younger generations to be fragile in vain comfort? Lord, give me hands and heart strong enough to carry a cross.

³⁴“Beware that your hearts do not become drowsy from carousing and drunkenness and the anxieties of daily life, and that day catch you by surprise ³⁵like a trap. For that day will assault everyone who lives on the face of the earth. ³⁶Be vigilant at all times and pray that you have the strength to escape the tribulations that are imminent and to stand before the Son of Man.”

Luke 21:34-36

I am not an Intellectual

It is time to make a subtle yet significant change for this blog. The title of this post is a reminder of what my soul is impassioned by. Following much prayer and feedback from readers, I am realizing the natural writing style grown since childhood. Instead of treatise and essay like posts, the delivery will be more akin to prose, narrative and letters. After all, a story and/or message that is from the heart, though seeks the true, good, and beautiful, is more welcoming to the mind than academic dissertation.

Truly, I am neither an intellectual nor an academic. The final steps were never made to take up such a way of life. By the word of a number of my teachers and professors, the door was around the corner. Still, I desired it not. In fact, as time passed the realm of formal learners is quite unattractive. Yes, I do enjoy the old great books of the humanities – history, theology, philosophy, classic literature etc. Secondarily, a general knowledge of various fields, including mathematics and science, but the vast majority of academia is too concerned with mortal wisdom, people secular as well as Christian.

The professional non-believing world is over all a front of excellency for vain efforts of research and education. It is propped up opinions made by proud people, who believe that critique and ‘popular opinion’ is the basis of learning. “Truth is knowledge for knowledge sake,” which is something of shared thought. Of course, when asked what is truth, the matching response is along the lines of “What people believe/want.” Strange, how individuals such as myself are mocked for believing in God, especially the resurrected Christ. This kind of thinking is sown down into kindergarten classes. I digress. More on this in due time.

In Christian circles of thought, along with more rigorously academic secular/pagan institutions, actual knowledge of writers/thinkers is digested not just commented on in irrelevant fashion. Now, the trap is when the former imitates the latter in the prime valuing of human wisdom over the ultimate wisdom of God. A mix of the works of ‘Athens and Jerusalem’ did create the marvel of Western civilization. Most do not forget this heritage is wrought with sin and ignorance, just like our present. It is the will of the King of Jews and Gentiles that is the way to truth so we may live. Aye, an invitation for an existence to be as Christ, fearing only God, on our way to His heavenly kingdom.

Thus I do hope and pray that I embrace how the Lord guides me to share in word. May there be a degree of eloquence but simplicity. Also like the Gospel, not relevant to mere human understanding but edifying to the soul. What is it worth to gain all the knowledge of Western civilization (& beyond) but still lose our souls in our ignorance of knowing God amid our prosperity? The prophet Isaiah spoke of Christ:

“But a shoot shall sprout from the stump of Jesse, and from his roots a bud shall blossom. The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him: a spirit of wisdom and of understanding, A spirit of counsel and of strength, a spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, and His delight shall be the fear of the Lord. Not by appearance shall He judge, nor by hearsay shall He decide, But He shall judge the poor with justice, and decide aright from the land’s afflicted. He shall strike the ruthless with the rod of His mouth, and with the breath of His lips He shall slay the wicked. Justice shall be the band around His waist, and faithfulness a belt upon His hips. . . . There shall be no harm on ruin on all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be filled with knowledge of the Lord, as water covers the sea.”
Isaiah 11: 1-5; 9

Until the reign of Christ the King over us proud ignorant people of the world, I am to become more a herald of His Gospel in word and life. May I remain broken in will, for like John the Baptist I am too unworthy to even loosen the sandals of His feet. Be blessed, my dear readers. Learn, grow, and create as God commands in His holy word.

My Heritage: Creative Work

Ancestry – Kin Folk

I am blessed to know my family history, a long line of souls who existed through a labor ethic commanded by God, so they could surpass the menial material ambitions of man. Thus is my inherited bounty of rich knowledge and culture rooted in divine will. Cursed is us who forget it in favor of luxury. Such is our downfall if we sit on a cushioned gilded chair, instead of kneeling before the generous heavenly Throne. I cannot fain ignorance of creative generations which overcame the evils of the human heart. Some, as potent examples of warning, submitted to prideful decadent spirits.

My father’s side can be traced back to the early 1800s, my mother’s beginning the following century. The former were of black slaves, freedmen, and white citizens, likely of Irish heritage, possibly also German, since ‘Fulmer’ is an Anglicized form of Germanic surnames. It did not take very long for my ancestors to thrive independently after Emancipation. This may be due to the seemingly diverse skills of those beforehand. The number of colored portraits, which were also made as late as my great-great grandfather, denote a like variation of social status among the non-white members. Passing on trained hands and minds for at least sixty years, the great-great generation continued this self-education, me reaping a crop cultivated for hundreds of years.

My mother’s side was composed of rancheros and builders. Generally of a balanced Spanish and Meso-American background, the bloodline maintained a common way of life. Not as academically astute as my father’s side, although they possess a focused ethic. A communal outlook quickly forms connections with family and peers. Like my father’s side, the generations have practiced self-education, tending to prioritize a single field. Having adopted this ethic, the paternal jack of skills is reinforced by the maternal fine tuned specialty, even if it is basic manual labor. The best of two worlds have been bestowed to me.

Above all, I inherited a spiritual heritage. The paternity was Protestant of a predominantly Methodist tradition. The maternity is of an extended Catholic line. Regardless of relatives’ personal practices, it was made evident since early childhood how these different forms of Christianity permeated familial ways. It has been of piercing insight to witness what happens when Godly wisdom is embraced or ignored in the relations of kin folk, not to mention their individual well-being. Thus, I find a foundational guidance in direct faith in Christ, desiring to live a natural spirituality indirectly in the public sphere. It can be challenging to be intentional at moments. This intentionality would be unnecessary if one devotedly grew in the God called the Way, Truth, and Life.

Grandparents

Pop Pop & Mom Mom were the elders of dynamic existence. To see them express joy and sorrow, stoicism and frolic, depth and simplicity, was an underlying impact of my youth. Life was of pain and merriment. You can neither walk in excess nor absence or either. When death seems to haunt your home, preying on all you love, mourn then be glad for God being mindful of us mortal creatures. Mom Mom outlasted her husband by a notable number of years. Through it all she prayed. Eventually no longer able to physically care for her loved ones, she poured out a soul of steadfast heart. I fondly remember lasting words she told me in high school: “Those educated and skilled are to help raise others out of the dark.” And “Equality comes from how God created us, different but of the same worth.” Her final prayers were for our prosperity, to continue loving amid suffering. She obeyed the Lord’s command to pour out the last of her heart, so He could personally refill it. “Well done, good and faithful servant.”

Grandpa & Grandma (Abuelo & Abuelita) remain as teachers of their successors. That is whomever takes to heart what they say, along with what has been valued. Far past their prime, they still exhibit a strength that very surely only comes with decades of fortitude in heart. Regardless of imperfections in religious faith, the recognition of God as sovereign has been a constant. The family and neighborly ties hinged on the holy, not wavering human passions. Their legacy is one that has seeded golden fidelity, dearly cared for by their children/grandchildren. Creative work builds not just excellent experience; the heart is nurtured to withstand trial in familial unities. As we are blessed with their presence, may the younger generation not assert our contemporary ignorance superior to their time tested knowledge/wisdom.

Parents

In summation, I find myself ever more grateful to the Lord for the father and mother who raised me. The homemaker devoted me in the moonlight to the will of her God. The head of the house desired me, as well as my sister, to be educated on the foundation of His Word. They have both lamented their mistakes, in regret of what may have harmed my upbringing. Who knows what I may have accomplished without the poor decisions? What an irrelevant thing to ponder about. Together we learned, fell, and got back on our feet. All this because they pointed me to the Holy One who faithfully guides our steps. Amid all the knowledge and wisdom imparted to me, a gift several generations in the making, they lovingly made sure I was introduced to Goodness, Beauty, and Truth – in human language He is called Jesus Christ. Indeed, I am a free man within a world of souls in bondage. It is not due to my identity. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.”

“Let not your heart emulate sinners, but be zealous for the fear of the Lord always; For you will surely have a future, and your hope will not be cut off. Hear, my son, and be wise, and guide your heart in the right way. Consort not with winebibbers, not with those who eat meat to excess; for the drunkard and the glutton come to poverty, and torpor clothes a man in rags. Listen to your father who begot you, and despise not your mother when she is old. Get the truth, and sell it not – wisdom, instruction and understanding. The father of a just man will exult with glee; he who begets a wise son will have joy in him. Let your father and mother have joy; let her who bore you exult.”
Proverbs 23:17-25