After last week, I am wondering what Hillary Clinton is up to. Events shifted the life track she hoped for, and she now has to set a new course. I wonder how she is doing.

Others have taken the moment of defeat as an open door. I am thinking about Al Gore. When he ran, it was days before we knew who won the election. Florida's machines had made a mess, so we first thought he won, then thought George W Bush won. Then we weren't sure as another recount happened. Then.... In the end, Al Gore stopped the recounts so that there would be clarity rather than chaos, and he accepted defeat.

I've heard that if he had insisted on a hand recount, he would have won. But the uncertainty was not good for the country, and he bowed out. When he became the loser, he took up the task of educating our continent about global warming. The film about him, An Inconvenient Truth, reached even further than the speeches and pictures that he showed in person. His articulate presentation helped to make clear that climate change is real and requires our attention, our intervention.

Could he have had a bigger impact on the environment as president? Maybe. But Barak Obama has clearly articulated how hard it is to get an agenda through congress. By choosing a cause and dedicating himself to it, former vice president Al Gore accomplished something important.

Former president Jimmy Carter lost his bid for a second term. He then took up a role as peace negotiator abroad and house builder for people who were struggling at home. He won the Nobel Peace prize in 2002. Losing the election was a blow, but he took the experience he had gained into his ongoing work for wholeness and peace in the world.

Thinking of him, I am reminded of Joe Clark. He was turfed out in his first term as Prime Minister. He was an effective opposition leader, and came back as External Affairs minister under Brian Mulroney. He stood for peace and good sense with actions like his opposition to the American invasion of Nicaragua. His voice got stronger with defeat.

Staying in Canada for a moment, another person who never became Prime minister but who, from the opposition bench, articulated a powerful alternative vision for our country, was Jack Layton. His passion and his perspective helped provide a vision for our country. The conclusion of his last letter continues to guide: My friends, love is better than anger. Hope is better than fear. Optimism is better than despair. So let us be loving, hopeful and optimistic. And we'll change the world.

Bernie Saunders is a voice that people will listen to even though he conceded the democratic nomination to Hillary Clinton. When people wonder how policies of the next government will impact real people, especially those on the margins, they will go looking for Bernie's speeches on YouTube.

Another person who, having given up power, will speak about the impact of policy and publicly spoken words will be Michelle Obama. She has gained credibility in her country and beyond and has shown that she can articulate what many women sense. When we seek to understand the impact on women of whatever is going on in Washington, we can search for what she is saying.

And if we want to understand Capital Hill, we can listen to what her husband says. Barak Obama has expressed the challenge of navigating Washington. He will continue to do that. As he steps away from power, his clear voice will be worth listening to.

In this reflection, I am ignoring the good work done by those who won elections. There is lots. But in my religious tradition, we are reminded that winning political power is not always the path to transformation. All that we remember of Pontius Pilate is the people he condemned to death. What we remember of the crucified, in particular Jesus of Nazareth, has changed the world.

Working for change within the constricting, sometimes strangulating political structure is necessary. Otherwise the government is never challenged. But real change comes when voices outside resonate across society so that ordinary people act, and the structure has to listen.

Cathy Hird is a farmer, minister, and writer living near Walters Falls.