In ancient times, the elder men in every city sat alongside the gate, to greet visitors and to dispense wisdom to the citizens of the community as they came and went. The story is told of a wise old patriarch who was approached at the city gate by a sojourner from a far country.

“Good father, what sort of people live in your city?” asked the wayfarer of the elder.

“What sort are they in the city from which you came?” the old man asked in response.

The traveler replied, “Wicked villains, liars, thieves, and uncaring fools.”

The old man shrugged his shoulders. “That’s what you’ll find here, too,” he said.

Before long, another traveler passed by. “Good father,” he said to the aged one, “what sort of people live in your city?”

“What sort are they in the city from which you came?” asked the elder.

“Gentle folk, neighborly, wise, and kind.”

The old man said with a knowing smile, “That’s what you’ll find here, too.”

If there is any truth that can be spoken of humankind, it is that people are alike wherever you go. In every locale, there are “wicked villains, liars, thieves, and uncaring fools.” By the same token, there are in every community “gentle folk, neighborly, wise, and kind.”

When I was young and my family traveled often because of my father’s military service, we lived, at various times, in Europe, Asia, Polynesia, and around the United States. And sure enough, wherever we went, we met godly people and evil, warm-hearted and cold, hospitable folks and those who wouldn’t give you the time of day if clocks were free.

To a certain degree, the same can be said of churches — because churches are assemblies of human beings. One might not expect to find “villains” or “thieves” among the Lord’s people, but one will find in almost every group of disciples the fervent and the lukewarm, the enthusiastic and the blasé, the eager and the aloof.

We should not be surprised that this is so. The Scriptures plainly teach that the body of Christ is made up of all kinds of members (1 Corinthians 12:4-31; Romans 12:4-9). To see the reality of this, just consider the various epistles of Paul — rebuking some and praising others, often within the same local assembly — or Christ’s letters to the seven churches of Asia Minor in Revelation. Jesus taught that the kingdom of God is like a dragnet that gathers “some of every kind,” good and bad, wicked and just, which will only be separated at the end of earth’s time (Matthew 13:47-50).

We meet Christians often — far more often than we should — who have never learned this principle. They drift from congregation to congregation seeking a “perfect” setting in which to worship. When they discover that the saints in one church are not perfect, they mosey along somewhere else until they again become dissatisfied, then hit the road once more. Such people rarely contribute anything substantial to the Lord’s work — how could they? They’re never in one place long enough to make a difference.

The church of Christ is perfect, because He who established it (Matthew 16:18) and is its Head (Colossians 1:18) is perfect. But although the foundation is flawless (1 Corinthians 3:11), those who build upon it are not. Some are building with gold, silver, and precious stones, while others build with wood, hay, or straw (1 Corinthians 3:12). In the last day, when each one’s work is tested, the righteous Judge will either approve or condemn (1 Corinthians 3:13-15). But for now, the wheat and the weeds grow up together (Matthew 13:24-30).

As the wise old man at the city gate observed, what you find in people where you are is not likely to be different from what you found in those you’ve left behind. Paul wrote, “In a great house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and clay, some for honor and some for dishonor” (2 Timothy 2:20). The difference is our own attitude. We can’t always change the vessels that surround us. We can, however, decide what sort of vessels we ourselves will be, and get busy becoming useful.