Out now - Peter McGuigan's A New Day
Out now - Peter McGuigan's A New Day
29 November 2022
Appointed to a corps in Melbourne during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Major Peter McGuigan felt compelled to write about his observations as he and his community went through lockdowns. Now, multiple essays from this period appear in A New Day.
Major Peter McGuigan’s book A New Day: Writing during the pandemic, on relationships responsibility and spiritual renewal is available from today through Salvation Army trade stores worldwide. The timely release is printed by IHQ’s Salvation Books and boasts scenic photography of Australia by Gareth McGuigan to accompany each of Peter’s reflections.”
Written in 2020 while Peter was appointed in Melbourne, he experienced the height of the nation’s lockdowns and felt compelled to write about his observations. They were published across multiple media platforms, including Others online and Salvos Magazine in Australia, as well as the UK’s Salvationist magazine.
“As a Christian writer, observing the unfolding calamity of the pandemic also meant noting and absorbing how people, both individuals and the public generally, responded socially, spiritually and religiously,” Peter shares in the book.
“It required serious reflection on what a new normal might look like on account of humankind being confronted with its mortality and vast numbers of people expressing their desire not to return to their pre-COVID lives and lifestyle – namely, a self-focused milieu marked by permanent distraction with consumerism, a celebrity culture and social media.”
These essays have resulted in a stunning 22cm x 22cm table book, collating Peter’s thoughts, offerings and conclusions on these observations. Photos taken by Peter’s son Gareth show God’s creation across Australia and New Zealand, with a particular focus on South-East Queensland. Designed by Graphic artist Jooles Tostevin-Hobbs, it culminates in a call for spiritual renewal as the world navigates the ‘new normal’ post-COVID-19 and invites readers to answer questions, reflect and pray about each topic.
“The goal of A New Day is to inspire hope and a new start for humanity as we emerge from the pandemic,” says Peter.
Including a foreword by Graeme P. Young, Matthew Flinders Distinguished Professor Emeritus from Flinders University in South Australia, this book has received global acclaim, with commendations from three territories. One by Commissioner Brigitte Brekke-Clifton, former International Secretary for Program Resources at IHQ, as well as Colonel Janet Munn, former Co-Director of The Salvation Army’s International Social Justice Commission in New York City, and Major Christina Tyson, Corps Officer at Wellington South for The Salvation Army New Zealand, Fiji, Tonga and Samoa Territory.
Having also journeyed through Australia’s unique experience during the pandemic, Territorial Leaders Commissioners Janine and Robert Donaldson also found the book a source of solace.
‘‘Dundu, or ‘big hill’, is two-thirds along the road that branches from the main highway and leads to Chikankata Mission in Zambia. From Dundu, one can look back on the twists and turns of the journey already taken, and then turn and see blurry glimpses of the destination,” explain Janine and Robert.
“‘Dundu moments’ are important in life. This book is a welcome and helpful ‘Dundu moment’ in relation to the pandemic.’”
A New Day is the latest release by Peter, who has a Master of Arts in Writing and has been published in multiple Christian publications. He has been editor of the former Australia Eastern Territory’s Pipeline magazine, a president of the Australasian Religious Press Association and is Chair of The Salvation Army Moral and Social Issues Council.
Read Major Mal Davies’ review of A New Day here.
A New Day is available from Salvationist Supplies in Australia by emailing trade.sydney@salvationarmy.org.au or trade.melbourne@salvationarmy.org.au or by calling Sydney Salvationist Supplies (1800 634 209) and Melbourne Salvation Army Supplies (1800 100 018). It is available at Koorong and on Amazon Kindle ebook.
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