The Name
The name “The Unhurried Chase” comes from a poem written by Francis Thompson in the second half of the 19th century called The Hound of Heaven. It is the story of someone who spends his life chasing after the pleasures of this world and running away from the Hound of Heaven only to realize that the world’s pleasures are fleeting and faulty, and the Hound of Heaven is no monster but is the highest pleasure, and the redeemer of all things.
The poem reminds me of several scenes in a favorite book of mine, The Horse and His Boy, by C.S. Lewis. The image of Christ as the lion pursuing Shasta, Aravis, Bree, and Hwin is one of my favorites from Narnia (and the whole of literature), and this poem takes me back to the pleasure of that metaphor. It reminds me that I too, have been pursued.
Taking the phrase a little out of context, another reason I chose the name is because life itself is nothing more than an unhurried chase, in some ways. One step at a time, one day, one second, we’re catching up to eternity with Christ as we live our ordinary lives. As we chase eternity, our lives are filled with the things of life—grocery shopping, shared evening meals, Sunday church services, weddings, funerals.
The Blog
As you might expect from an unhurried chase, the scope of this blog will likely wander and shift over time. I wanted to give myself space even in the title to grow and change. But one thing I’m committed to focusing on is continued research on my thesis topic: death, dying, and the Christian. I gave myself a long reading list after I finished my thesis, and I need a place to write, think, and keep myself on task.
But, I am a whole person and I do think and write about other things, too. So don’t be surprised to find some content that strays outside of that topic.
Thanks for joining me on the crazy journey! I’m terrified of having my words immortalized here on the internet, so please be gracious with me—despite my efforts, I will undoubtedly say some regrettable things.
And just a reminder: I’d love to hear from you! Let me know in the comments if you’re reading or thinking things that I might find interesting!
Don’t forget to read the About the Author page, if you want to get to know me better.