Political Affiliation And Belief In G-d/ Where We Diverge

According to a Pew study, 73 percent of people who vote Republican are CERTAIN that there is a G-d. Another 17 percent are fairly certain. 

Democrats? 55 percent are certain while 21 percent are fairly certain. 

Wow!! A lot of people believe in G-d! (This is all b/c of the Jewish people who brought monotheism to the world. Thanks US!!! 😄😄 Or better - thank you Hashem for choosing us to be Your conduit.) 

But what is the common denominator between both groups - the righties and lefties, conservatives and liberals? Just about none of them live their lives for the world to come. People are firmly planted HERE. They are busy all day and all night with Olam Hazeh. Working, money, eating, the ever present electronic devices, movies, TV, sports, sleeping etc. etc. Yes, they believe in G-d but there is not much of a nafka minah in the day to day. 

Here is where we diverge. We not only believe in G-d but [should, ideally] NEVER be distracted from the goal - Olam Haba. Our journey is a short one. Everything here in our present reality is just a preparation for our ultimate destination. The word "זמן" - time, means to prepare, as in the sugya הזמנה מילתא [Sanhedrin 48]. All of our time is a preparation for THEN. Everything we do has to be with the awareness of mindfulness of where we are going. To meet and be in the presence of our Maker - forever. 

Full disclosure - I plagiarized this idea from the Mesillas Yesharim!! 

והנה מה שהורונו חכמינו זכרונם לברכה הוא, שהאדם לא נברא אלא להתענג על ה' ולהנות מזיו שכינתו שזהו התענוג האמיתי והעידון הגדול מכל העידונים שיכולים להמצא. ומקום העידון הזה באמת הוא העולם הבא, כי הוא הנברא בהכנה המצטרכת לדבר הזה.

Behold, what our sages, of blessed memory, have taught us is that man was created solely to delight in G-d and to derive pleasure in the radiance of the Shechina (divine presence). For this is the true delight and the greatest pleasure that can possibly exist. The place of this pleasure is, in truth, in Olam Haba (the World to Come). For it was created expressly for this purpose.

אך הדרך כדי להגיע אל מחוז חפצנו זה, הוא זה העולם. והוא מה שאמרו זכרונם לברכה (אבות ד): העולם הזה דומה לפרוזדור בפני העולם הבא.

But the path to arrive at the "desired haven" (Ps. 107:30) of ours is this world. This is what our sages of blessed memory said: "this world is like a corridor before the World to Come" (Avot 4:16).