In search of the healing place (by Murray McGavin)

(Amazon UK link)

It’s always difficult to try to review a book when I know the author. Murray McGavin and his wife Ruth have been friends of ours for a long time. We heard a lot, in the past couple of years, about the often frustrating process of having his book published. But finally ‘In search of the healing place’ is in print, and we were given a copy. I started reading it a couple of weeks ago, and have just finished reading it.

I wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when I began the book. I knew it wasn’t a standard autobiography, although there’s a lot that’s autobiographical in it. I knew, too, that Murray and Ruth had spent most of their working life abroad. Murray is a doctor who specialised in ophthalmology, and they worked with charitable organisations, mostly in Afghanistan. 

Part one launches into Murray’s childhood, beginning with an overview of his parents’ background and early marriage. Murray was born in China, but with escalations of fighting as World War II approached, they relocated to Australia and eventually to Scotland. There are anecdotes of reminiscence about dramatic and exciting travels, but Murray was quite young and his memories are inevitably rather sparse. 

Life becomes calmer as he goes to secondary school in Glasgow, and then on to study medicine at Glasgow University. But the story is told almost as if one was chatting to Murray, as he recalls incidents, people, and things he learned. The writing is quite informal, with a lot of exclamation marks that I found a bit irritating at first, but I soon became used to them. 

The book then moves on to Murray’s first visits to Afghanistan, working at a clinic, often treating children living in appalling conditions. Diseases of eyes are rampant, but some of them are easy to treat, although they often ignore recommendations or advice about lifestyle that might help. The sense of satisfaction comes through, as the western teams can enable or improve eyesight for so many, at relatively little cost. 

Interspersed with the memories are descriptions of locations, general information about the culture, and the climate, and also the many dangers that are present. Yet throughout all their trials, it’s evident that Murray’s faith is strong, and he lives by the belief that he is called by God to this work. I skimmed a bit over some of the medical terminology and descriptions of treatment that made me squirm, but am sure these would be of interest to anyone interested in medicine, particularly ophthalmics. 

Later in the book there are examples of journals that Murray edited and produced, lists of names, and apparently random incidents. In a way, this book is like a collection of his lifetime writing and documentation, gathered together with an overall thread of God’s hand, and the work of the Holy Spirit refining and leading towards what he calls the ‘healing place’. Murray absolutely believes that God can heal directly, as well as through the hands and skills of medical workers. 

The book is written in 17 distinct sections, plus an epilogue, each one with a specific focus, though the later ones are much shorter than the earlier biographical sections. There’s a moving tribute to the son that they lost in tragic circumstances, for instance, and a very short section towards the end with scripture verses about healing. 

All in all, I thought it well worth reading. It’s easy to dip into, and I expect to do so in future even though I have read straight through as a starting point. It helps to know Murray; his voice comes through the chatty style. But I think it could be of interest to anyone interested in autobiographies that are a bit different, particularly related to medical workers abroad, so long as you don’t mind the regular digressions and the informality of style. 

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