Poor Eyesight, Amazing Vision

By Chris Johnson

The comment was spoken softly, but Tibor, my companion and subject of the insult, still overheard. The jab was not only crass, but also unbecoming to the middle-aged woman who giggled it to the two friends seated with her. Tibor and I were talking just outside the sweet shop while enjoying rapidly melting ice cream cones. Apparently, the innuendo was prompted by some minor grammatical error Tibor made while complimenting the ice cream. Since the Hungarian language has an extremely complex structure, grammatical errors are committed routinely by native Hungarian speakers, not to mention someone like Tibor who has been speaking it less than ten years.

Tibor was born in Romania. He never met the parents who abandoned him to a state orphanage. At the age of eight, a degenerative eye condition began to steal his ability to see. Today, Tibor is legally blind. Only 5% of his vision remains. Embittered by rejection, blindness, and Ceausescu's communism, Tibor sought an opportunity to leave his homeland. During the political upheavals which rocked Eastern Europe in the early 1990's, Tibor--then a young man--headed west to Hungary. There he hoped to live out his rebellion toward God and anger toward life as he indulged his selfish ambition "to make a lot of money. "

Calmly, Tibor walked toward the round plastic table where the trio of women spooned their desserts. He gently surprised the perpetrator by saying he had overheard her remark. Briefly explaining that Hungarian is not his mother tongue, he handed a gospel tract to the at-first-defensive, but now red-faced woman. "Because the love of God rules my life, I'm not upset with you," he said graciously.

Shortly after his arrival in Hungary, Tibor found employment as a masseur. The local blind association secured his housing in a college dormitory. There, he heard a clear presentation of the gospel from several young men who participated in a campus evangelism ministry. They answered his questions, gave him cassette tapes of sermons and Christian lectures, and eventually secured a hard-to-find Braille Bible.

In January 1993, Tibor Miklos trusted Jesus Christ as his personal Savior. His joy for life, gratitude to God, and zealous witness were contagious. Scores of Hungarians first heard the good news of salvation through Tibor's life and lips. Several years later, sensing God's direction into Christian ministry, Tibor left his job and enrolled full-time in a three-year Bible Institute. There, while he was one of my students, I became acquainted with this gem of a man.

As she departed, the woman approached Tibor and me, clutching the rose-colored gospel tract. "I read almost all of it," she said. "You know, I really want to believe in a God who loves me, but ..." Then it came. The big question. "Why would God allow...?" Tibor placed his hand lightly on her shoulder. "Madam, may I tell you a bit of my story?" She nodded. "You probably wouldn't notice unless I told you, but I'm nearly blind, and I grew up...." She listened attentively as Tibor recounted the events of his life. The conclusion was especially poignant. "Dear lady, as you look into my almost sightless eyes what do you see?" She answered quietly, "Love. Happiness. Peace." He assured her that the abundant life in Jesus Christ could be hers as well. She agreed to think about what he said, and re-read the tract. Then, before departing, she kissed him lightly on both cheeks, a customary greeting usually reserved for family and close friends.

I had heard it and sensed it, but now I had seen it up close and personal. Tibor Miklos is passionate about personal evangelism. He's equally passionate about the need for hundreds of new churches in Hungary to disciple and train those who come to faith. Tibor may not be able to see well, but as far as I'm concerned, his vision is amazing!