The Call of the Entrepreneur

November 06, 2007

The Call of the Entrepreneur

Last night, my wife and I had a chance to see a screening of the Acton Institute's movie "The Call of the Entrepreneur" at the Atlanta History Center. I didn't know much of what to expect and so was pleasantly surprised. The production quality was great, especially since they apparently didn't have a huge budget for it. And they made the overall point effectively: that entrepreneurs do, in fact, accomplish many inherently good things.

I grew up in Reformed circles, which at least openly disavowed the sacred/secular dichotomy. Still, I've been surprised lately at how little respect I have given to the world of business as potentially instrumental in "kingdom work." At best, business has been a necessary tool so that other people can accomplish "real work", such as ministry, counseling, missions, etc.

But what "The Call of the Entrepreneur" points out is that business activity by itself can do inherently good things. New businesses can provide for families, create wealth, and increase the standard of living. Yes, greed is often a part of that process, but, as the folks from the Acton Institute pointed out (either in the movie or in the Q&A session last night afterwards), greed is part of everything. A socialist can be just as greedy as a capitalist.

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