For years now, the putative “best and brightest” have been going into business and finance. It’s where the money is-seven-figure salaries, as opposed to $35,000 to teach children. It’s where to find exciting challenges like creating an enterprise from scratch. It’s where a determined leader can make a difference. Why, then, is our economy such a mess? I’m not questioning the virtues of free-market capitalism. Nor am I saying that excellence is totally absent. Many enterprises are doing well. I just think it’s time we sounded a call for competence.

(Tom Ehrich is a writer, church consultant and Episcopal priest based in New York. He is the author of “Just Wondering, Jesus,” and the founder of the Church Wellness Project, http://www.churchwellness.com. His Web site is http://www.morningwalkmedia.com.)