Wisdom from the Cross

Guest: Casey Chalk, freelance writer, editor, author

What are the “Seven Last Words” of Christ? More than seven words, they are phrases which Jesus spoke as he hung on the Cross, naked and defiled. Casey Chalk noticed that these phrases have been pondered since the Church’s beginning. As he researched meditations from a variety of sources, including Scripture and the saints, he realized each one said something profoundly important and pointed to what a life lived well should be.

Casey set out to gather this collection of historical meditations, discovering that Jesus deliberately gave us the roadmap to heaven. It became his book, “Wisdom from the Cross: How Jesus’ Seven Last Words Teach us How to Live (and Die) Well.” Drawing from both ancient and modern scholarship, each chapter contains various elements meant to capture the wisdom of the Cross. For example, when Jesus said, “I Thirst,” He was expressing His thirst for souls, calling us to a sacrificial love for one another. “Father, forgive them” teaches us the importance of turning the other cheek.

Meant to become a year-round meditation companion, "Wisdom from the Cross" highlights how a life lived for others is a life lived well. Through Casey’s book, we can now study the roadmap.

Guest biography: Casey J. Chalk serves as an editor or regular contributor for many publications, including The New Oxford Review, The Federalist, Crisis Magazine, and Religion & Liberty Online. He is the author of “The Obscurity of Scripture: Disputing Sola Scriptura and the Protestant Notion of Biblical Perspicuity” (Emmaus Road, 2023) and “The Persecuted: True Stories of Courageous Christians Living Their Faith in Muslim Lands” (Sophia Institute Press, 2021). Casey holds a B.A. in history and an M.A. in teaching from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in theology from the Notre Dame Graduate School of Theology at Christendom College. He lives with his wife, Claire, and six children in his native Northern Virginia.
Resources:
Casey Chalk's website where you can find his books and publications.