So, it's the very last day of the American Primary elections.  Montana and South Dakota are the final states to hold their primary elections, and Hillary Clinton has still not conceded to Barack Obama in the race for the Democratic nomination.  Does she still think she can win (the Clintons aren't used to losing elections), or is she positioning herself for 2012 if Obama loses to John McCain in November?  The American political system seems to most of us one of Byzantine complexity, but I still find the race for the White House utterly compelling - not just because the USA is the most powerful country on earth, but also because of the personalities involved.

In the Bible I'm reading the Prophet Jeremiah at the moment, and there are some uncanny links with Hillary Clinton (and that's a phrase I never thought I'd write).  Jeremiah began when he was very young, but prophesied for a period approaching forty years, from the reign of (good) King Josiah, right up until the fall of Jerusalem in 587 BC.  He stayed the course until the end, even though for most of his ministry the going was incredibly tough, as his message was one of judgment on a sinful people, with the only ray of hope being for the time of restoration through and beyond judgment.  He had his prophecies cut up and burned, was thrown down a well and generally hated being a prophet.  But he stayed the course, and could do nothing else, as the Word of the Lord was like a fire in his bones.  In the end he was vindicated, painfully, as Jerusalem was sacked by the Babylonian forces.

Over the last few weeks, when all have expected Hillary Clinton to give up her fight for the nomination, she has carried on, seemingly beyond the point of any realistic hope.  We can currently only guess her reasons.  Though I'm no particular fan of the Clintons, Hillary clearly seems to believe in what she is campaigning for.  Is her continued fight mulish stubbornness, or laudable perseverance and determination?  Is she deluded, or shrewd and calculating?  Time will tell, this year and beyond.

In the Christian life, we are called to perseverance and faithfulness to the Gospel in the power of the Spirit, whatever the opposition - exactly the qualities Jeremiah showed over his long ministry.  As we do so, we have the assurance and encouragement not just that we are right, but that we are storing up for ourselves treasures in heaven.  Let's just make sure as we do so that we really are staying in the Lord's will, and aren't just holding fast to our own prejudices and preferences that God would far rather we left behind.