The Rev. Christopher L. Webber, Class of 1956, is out with a new book, The Silence of Calvary: Meditations on Good Friday. Through this work, Webber explores the meaning of Good Friday and the value of silence.

Good Friday is not like any other time of the year, and Christians everywhere wonder about the best way to mark the day. Again and again, sermons and meditations have centered our attention on the words Jesus spoke from the cross, but those few, brief words would have needed only a few minutes on the first Good Friday. Seven chapters in this unique book consider the event, and the meaning, of the Crucifixion to our lives today, including the various ways in which silence plays a role in our daily lives.

So many of us are overwhelmed with words coming at us from all our electronic devices that the thought of more language has less appeal than it once did. On one of the holiest days of the year, these brief meditations are designed to call us into the silence that still speaks more loudly than words.

Webber has led urban, rural, and overseas parishes. He is a graduate of Princeton University as well as General Theological Seminary. In addition to Welcome to the Christian Faith, he is the author of many other books and several hymns. He lives in San Francisco and gives workshops and lectures on his writings.