At a 2022 FORGE Global Summit, Matthew Rohrs, CEO of Sinapis, spoke on the Biblical basis for entrepreneurship based on the "big story" of the Bible - Creation, Fall, Redemption, and Restoration. Rohrs's talk, which comes from a Christian perspective while being critical of it, has value for people of all faith traditions including "none," which is and has always been a faith perspective. Here is an abridged account of his talk:
This talk is about an intersection of theology and the practical work that God has called us to do. The Biblical basis for Kingdom business is rooted in the meta narrative of God. Depending on where you grew up and what type of church experience you've had, you may have had emphasis on the Fall and Redemption - only two of the elements of this big story.
If any of you have ever had a season where you struggled mightily with sacred/secular dualism, this understanding of the gospel as Fall and Redemption has limitations that are really important, and I want to point out some of them:
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1. It doesn't tell us why we were created.
It doesn't take us back to God who actually created a good world that he was pleased with. It also doesn't tell us about our true destiny. It doesn't tell us where we're going and what we are going to do. If everything is just about people being saved and going to heaven, then what does anything on this Earth really matter?
2. There is no Kingdom without a King
From eternity past to eternity future, there has been a King on the throne. When we talk about Kingdom business, Kingdom entrepreneurship, Kingdom investing, we are relating to this absolute Sovereign King of all kings and Lord of all Lords.
3. We are stewards and co-creators
He is Sovereign, He is the one we were made for, and the King calls his people to work alongside him as stewards: people given the responsibility and authority to rule over the affairs of a household. It has economic connotations - you could think of Joseph in Egypt. In my experience, I often associate stewardship with being a good manager of time, talent, and treasure that God has given us to manage for his purposes.
But the roots of stewardship actually go a lot deeper in Genesis 1. Before sin came into the world, He invites Adam and Eve into this relationship with Himself. God is saying to them and to all of us, I am giving you authority, made in my image, to work alongside me, to work with the creation to build things, to improve things, to co-create with me.
4. The King will complete a good work in you
This King began and will complete the story in perfect Shalom - peace, wholeness, and well-being. "There is a universal longing, a desire transcending tribe, tongue, and nation that sits at the core of every human heart. It's a desire for thriving, for blessedness, for fullness of life, for flourishing. Everything as it was supposed to be." Dr. Anne Bradley, Institute for Faith, Work and Economics.
I really believe there is a spiritual battle happening against what we're working toward, against the holistic nature of it, against the focus on the King and his Kingdom. But He will complete what He started and it will be in perfect peace. We can stand on that promise.
5. Your Kingdom come, Your will be done
When Jesus was teaching the disciples to pray, "Your Kingdom come, Your will be done", we think about what that means. It touches a variety of different contexts in our lives - clearly the Great Commission - but also the importance of poverty alleviation, our call to love and serve the poor, how we care for children, how we engage in politics, how we care for creation, how we engage in art and music, etc.
It's everything, but it's all under the banner of what He prioritizes--what He cares about--and it's this beautiful inclusive call. I hope as we think about the special role that business plays that we feel encouraged, empowered, and enlivened by what God is doing here.
6. Repairers of the breach
Let's look at Isaiah 58. Paraphrasing the passage, if you pour yourself out for the hungry and satisfy the desire of the afflicted, then shall your light rise in the darkness and your gloom be as the noon day. You shall raise up the foundations of many generations. You shall be called the repairer of the breach, the restorer of streets to dwell in.
This picture of repairer of the breach, restorer of the streets, I think connects powerfully to the role of business. As we engage in entrepreneurship, as we support entrepreneurs who are growing profitable businesses dedicated to the Kingdom, we are restoring walls, we are restoring lives, we are bringing protection. Where there can be hope and normality and Shalom.
When we look at the research about how poverty is alleviated - it's only through the sustained growth in companies in society. Where that is grown from a social perspective, when we look at the desire of each and every person, who has been made in the image of God, who wants to use their skills, have dignity, provide for their family, lead and grow as a person, every time we launch and grow a business, creating and sustaining jobs, we are repairing a breach in a wall. We are restoring a street where there's hope and dignity.
Repairing the brokenness of the world is indeed Kingdom work, and a significant part of that work is addressing the brokenness in our economic systems. What a earth-shaking blessing it would be if we all, no matter our faith tradition -- and "none" is a faith tradition, started thinking of our businesses as a healing part of Kingdom restoration! As in the book of Nehemiah, when the people literally and metaphorically each take responsibility for fixing the brokenness in front of them, they restore safety and security for everyone in the community.
Better Capitalism has identified some core brokenness--breaches--in our current form of capitalism and is willing to take responsibility to start working on repairing them. We do so by listening, watching, writing, teaching, advocating, and consulting on better ways to practice capitalism and run businesses. We can't repair such significant breaches alone any more than anyone else can perform any miracle alone. But like those Nehemiah motivated to move, we're willing to start with what we see right in front of us and trust others will join in.
We have begun our contribution to the Kingdom work of restoring the breaches in our nation's form of capitalism. We invite you to join us by reading, using, and sharing our content. We likewise invite you to enjoy this work of restoring the breaches, which is transformatively healing and rewarding.
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