JAMIE FRASER A LIFE OF FAITH

If you think that Outlander is a great read because of its romance and
adventure you would be right. If you love the medical and historical details,
Im right there with you! In fact, every time I think about the story, I find
something else to appreciate. But, in my opinion, Dianas greatest gift to the
reader is a look at human nature. Her books contain so many characters
with so many different perspectives and choices to make. A reader
commented that the author has created somewhere near 600 characters in
the Outlander series? From orphaned identical twins to the King of France,
the stories give us a look at people of different stages and walks of life.
Weve read about births, deaths, murders, marriages, wars, and once even a
resurrection! It wasnt a very long resurrection, but hey, it was cool.

One of the aspects of human nature that Diana includes in her stories is
religion/faith. I found the need to use a slash because for many religion and
faith are two sides of the same coin. Im not so sure about this and I think
there is evidence in the series to suggest Diana might think likewise. Ms.
Gabaldons portrayal of men and women of God is a microcosm of the
religious world at large. Her priests and ministers range the spectrum
between legalistic to philosophical. Her Catholics and Protestants are at
odds and her natives in tune with the natural world.
Claires issues with faith and religion make perfect sense to me. She is a
pragmatic woman who has travelled the world and experienced different
cultures. Can anyone say standing stones? As a time traveller she of all
people would have the right to believe in things unseen. However, Claire is
also a woman of science. Because of all these seemingly conflicting
variables I believe our Claires faith is pretty fluid. Adoration, witchcraft or
science, shell use whatever she needs to get the job done. Jamie, on the
other hand, is a different story.
As a teenager, I lived in a low income housing complex. Our neighborhood
consisted of a circle of small attached two story condominiums. We lived
literally on top of one another. The walls were thin and the street was loud.
You knew your neighbors because you saw and heard them everyday in a
kind of forced intimacy. While we lived there, my mother worked two jobs
and that left us five kids with a lot of free time and freedom. We went where
we wanted, when we wanted. A couple of doors down from us lived a young
family, the Harmons. The father was into a lot of the same nerdy things my
brothers liked and they would spend time there building slot cars and trading
baseball cards. When Mom was home it would often be my job to go find
my brothers. I knew where they were and would go bring them home from
the Harmons. This wasnt something I looked forward to; the Harmons made
me uncomfortable. Like most of the residents of the complex, they didnt
have a lot. They dined off a picnic table and went to sleep on mattresses laid
on the floor. They were happy and generous people that were always looking
out for somebody. I never knew who I would find in their house; talking,
drinking coffee or eating sandwiches, but it was usually someone I would
have crossed the street to avoid. They shared whatever they had and that

wasnt much. AndI think Jesus lived there. They talked about him and to
him constantly. I kind of expected to turn around and find him sitting on the
couch. It sort of freaked me out. I would visit and then not come back for
weeks. Over time, my visits got more frequent, I would listen, watch and
process. They had something and I found myself fascinated. They werent
religious people, they didnt even go to church, but they were people with
faith. They never preached their beliefs, they justlived them. When I think
of Jamies faith, I think of the Harmons.
Like Claire, Jamies faith as been shaped by where he has lived and what he
has experienced. There are scholarly tomes written to the idea that
Christianity in Jamies part of the world is different. The term Celtic
Christianity is bandied about and argued over. The idea in contention is
that the legends and myths prevelant in Jamies part of the world have
created a unique brand of Christian faith. Im not prepared to write a
dissertation on the validity of Celtic Christianity, but Im prepared to write
what Ive observed about Jamies brand of Christianity. Jamie has been raised
with stories of the old folk and the idea that the natural world around him
contains a divine essence. His world is full of ancient and sacred places; holy
wells, fairy stones, cairns, etc. The mystical and magical are the lenses
through which his people see the world. Once Christianitys popularity grew
in the Celtic world the two belief systems eventually blended. There is
actually a term for this phenomenon, Syncretism. In this case, Syncretism is
the acceptance of previous beliefs or traditions of Celtic paganism and then
the melding of these with Roman Catholic Christian beliefs and traditions.
We see evidence of this blend in Outlander and more specifically in Jamies
expression of his faith. He gives reverence to both simultaneously. Quite
frankly, I find Jamies brand of Christianity to bebeautiful and not at all
disconcerting. It fits.
It has been my experience that often higher education tends to pollute or
negate the idea of a personal Christian faith. That does not appear to be
true for Jamie. We know that his studies in University of Paris included
philosophy and that he continues to read and discuss the topic throughout
his life. He is a learned philosophical man that has chosen to remain true to
his Christian beliefs. His Gaelic expressions of thankfulness and supplication

acknowledge Gods role in his personal experience of the world. Jamie is

thoughtful and prays over the decisions in his life. His choices are always
colored by his Catholicism and his God. And, I would add, he exhibits the
fruits of the Spirit:

Love: Is there any doubt that Jamie loves? His family, his clan, the

prisoners, Fergus, Marsali , Joan, Murtagh, etc. And, Claire? Jamie believes
that she is Gods gift to him and that on judgement day his love for Claire will
be his one defense to balance anything he may have done poorly, ye
gave me a rare woman and Lord I loved her well.
Gentleness: Jamie describes himself as a bloody man, and yet, time

after time we see his gentleness. I think of his time in the stable with wee
Hamish explaining the facts of life and scene where he is rocking a
devastated Bree in his arms.
Faithfulness: Once Jamies word is given he remains faithful to his

course. His promises are kept. Time and time again.

Self-Control: A virgin at 23? That alone should prove the point, but I

think of his promise to Claire not to kill Jack Randall.

Kindness: They say a persons character can be measured by how he

treats those who can do nothing for him. Jamie is kind to those less
fortunate and the weak.
Long suffering: I wish I could handle suffering like Jamie! He does not

complain. In fact, I can only remember a few times he expressed

disappointment or frustration.
Joy: Jamie is grateful for all that he has and finds joy in what he had

been given.
Goodness: What is it that motivates Jamie? Being the best man he
can be, being a man his fathers can be proud of. There are some that
might argue that Jamie IS a bloody man and a murderer. I point out that he
does no violence with intent to murder that is not in defense of his family or
country. I believe there is provision for this behavior.
Jamies faith sustains him. It is what shapes his identity as a man. His faith
is as natural to him as breathing. Like the Harmons of my childhood, Jamie
doesnt preach, he just lives. To me this is what religion should be about and I

think Jamie gives witness to what a Christian life is and that is living with
faith.