Book Review {Note: the author received this book for free in return to review the said offering. That said, she says what she wants—good and bad, happy and sad.}

Gone are the easy, breezy beach reads.

Now that summer is over and fall is upon us, we find ourselves in the midst of back-to-school routines and an intense race for the office of President of the United States.

Elephant journal writer Jeff Fulmer mixes politics and religion in his insightful eBook, As A Christian, Why the GOP Doesn’t Speak For Me. This collection of short articles is from Mr. Fulmer’s blog, Hometown Prophet. These offerings are a blend of well-researched and emotionally charged subjects.

In Mr. Fulmer’s first book, Hometown Prophet the fictional character Peter Quill has dreams that come true and he becomes a modern-day prophet of God.

In the introduction to As A Christian, Why the GOP Doesn’t Speak For Me, Mr. Fulmer expresses his distaste for how religion has been twisted for political gain. He strongly suggests, the core teachings of Christ would offer a change in Washington politics and ultimately the world.

Benjamin Franklin’s thoughts make a brief appearance in the article entitled, “Would Jesus Raise Taxes?”:

“…in this world, nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”

The Bible’s Matthew 17:24-27:

“Zacchaeus was despised because he was tax collector. Jesus loved him anyway.”

And the entertaining, Gordon Gekko from the movie, Wall Street:

“Greed.”

Ultimately, we must understand that we can’t take it with us.

Mr. Fulmer ponders the separating of people by the righteous and not so righteous.

In politics, there is the right or Republican (elephant) and the left or Democratic (donkey). But did you know from a Christian view there is the right (sheep) and the left (goats) as determined by in Matthew 25? Read about it in the article, “Goats or Sheep?”

Most of us do not spend as much time volunteering in hospitals, prisons or community centers as maybe Jesus would suggest in these passages from Matthew. Mr. Fulmer offers:

“Jesus is conveying a frame of mind and a condition of the heart that his true followers will have by nature of their state of grace.”

How we respond to this parable on a societal level is the question, this article, suggests we all need to answer.

In the article, “The Challenge of Loving Our Enemies,” Mr. Fulmer ponders the traumatic events of September 11th and how we move forward and find our way.

When getting the bad guy is a very accepted occurrence in our culture, challenge is a very mild term to describe this opposing concept of love and hate. Mr. Fulmer shares his feelings:

“I should probably confess I don’t know how we get from here to there. However, I think the answer has something to do with experiencing grace.”

Looking to nonviolent leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Martin Luther King, Jr., who utilized Christ’s teachings, their followers were often met with hate and violence. And yet, this nonviolent approach achieved monumental freedom for many people.

If we, the United States, prayed for our enemies after September 11th would the world have laughed at us?

Would God have the opportunity to be more present?

If we pray for our enemies maybe they would become less of an enemy—and isn’t that a world we all would like to live in?

As A Christian, Why the GOP Doesn’t Speak For Me is a heartfelt exploration of morality, public service and attempting to live with our choices.

Jeff Fulmer has spent time in Washington, D.C. as an intern during the Reagan-Bush Re-Election campaign in 1984. After graduating college in southern California, Mr. Fulmer spent time in the financial services industry in Atlanta. He now lives in Tennessee where he grew up. To read more of As A Christian, Why the GOP Doesn’t Speak For Me sign up for Mr. Fulmer’s newsletter at Hometown Prophet and receive his e-book.

Melody Lima, I am a yoga teacher, and a mom who enjoys sharing my observations on and off the yoga mat through writing. I love peaceful debate and good scotch. Visit me at: YogaMatUnrolled.blogspot.com