In recent decades, we have witnessed efforts in our country by various groups to expel Christian principles from the public sphere, as if they were a doctrine that contaminates the purity of social decisions. This exclusion has contributed to a growing indifference to transcendent questions. There is a perceived lack of understanding of our history and our roots, and even—more worryingly—of human nature. As a consequence, the interest of many young people in dedicating themselves to God and serving others has diminished. However, the most alarming thing is that we fail to connect this process of de-Christianization with the evident social deterioration we face.

The signs of this deterioration are visible. In Peru, corruption has reached critical levels: the country has recorded its largest drop in the Corruption Perceptions Index since 2012, and more than 2,000 people were convicted of this crime in 2024 alone. The Prosecutor’s Office also carried out 67 large-scale operations. Added to this is an alarming increase in homicides, with more than 640 cases recorded so far this year. This reality is not uncommon in other countries. In Spain, the case of Chief Inspector Óscar Sánchez of the National Police, arrested for links to drug trafficking, reflects how corruption can take root in institutions. There, too, the Council of Europe has drawn attention to the lack of independence in the election of the judiciary. In Mexico, the horrors of drug trafficking continue to shock the population: the discoveries in Teuchitlán, following the discovery at the Izaguirre ranch of skeletal remains and evidence of cremation attributed to the Jalisco New Generation Cartel; and the disappearance of young people like Pablo Joaquín Gómez Orozco expose a social drama that is intensifying.

If this diagnosis is correct, the solution is not far from us. And that is why it is worth paying attention to some concrete facts that help us glimpse where to begin to rebuild the fabric of our society. One of these paths was lucidly pointed out by Johannes Messner when he stated: “The correctness of the idea of ​​Christian social reform is evident: that the social question must be resolved above all in business, if it is to be resolved at all.” Indeed, for Messner, the business world constitutes a privileged space from which to address social problems, integrating Christian ethics and promoting human dignity and the common good from the economic perspective.

Christian living is not a private matter disconnected from business activity, but an active principle that transforms the way we lead, work, and serve.

Along these lines, we find valuable examples of entrepreneurs who have led their organizations guided by the Christian meaning of life: the conviction that we will be accountable for our actions; that true wealth lies in love for God and service to others; and that those who have received more opportunities are morally called to care for those who have had fewer opportunities. For these leaders, the business is not simply a productive unit, but a community where justice, charity, and the integral promotion of the human person can be lived out.

The Christian entrepreneur, driven by his faith, assumes the management of his company as a vocation oriented to the service of the common good. This is demonstrated by Dave Thomas, founder of Wendy’s, who promoted a corporate culture based on respect and dignity for his employees and created the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption to provide homes for abandoned children. Blake Mycoskie, for his part, founded TOMS Shoes under the “one for one” principle: for every pair sold, another is donated to a child in need. His model not only addresses a basic need but also promotes the economic development of vulnerable communities.

A similar approach is seen in James Cash Penney, founder of J.C. Penney, who viewed success as a means to serve God through leadership focused on service and the personal growth of his employees. Dave Ramsey, from the financial field, teaches biblical principles applied to personal and business finances, encouraging people to live debt-free, save responsibly, and place God at the center of everyday decisions. These cases clearly show that Christian living is not a private matter, but an active principle that transforms the way we lead, work, and serve.

These examples invite us to rethink the value to society of having entrepreneurs who guide their actions with a transcendent vision of life. The moral and social deterioration we witness every day is neither irreversible nor beyond our reach. Perhaps the solution lies simply in reintegrating Christian values ​​into our businesses. The rest—as Messner rightly warned—will follow.