Given the current state of things, who knows what Google’s current hiring practices are? But back in the heady days of 2004, this millionaire-making tech company was aggressively searching for the best tech minds around. And it was employing some very “Google-like” ingenuity in finding them. They placed ads with publications such as Mensa, MIT’s Technology Review and Physics Today. In these ads they included questions designed to separate the wheat from the chaff. Questions such as, “How many different ways can you color an icosahedron with one of three colors on each face?” and “On an infinite, two-dimensional rectangular lattice of 1-ohm resistors, what is the resistance between two nodes that are a knight’s move away?” Some of their questions were more creative: “Write a haiku describing possible methods for predicting search traffic seasonality.
Other than the haiku one, if any of you can even explain these questions to me, I’d love to hear from you after church, because I have no idea what they’re talking about. Perhaps their most creative ploy was to place billboards around Silicone Valley and Harvard Square that simply read: “(first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e).com.” Whoever solved the math problem was taken to a Google recruiting site. Of course, as a “for-profit” company, Google’s goal is to get the cream to float to the top. Their hope is to have only the smartest and best working for them, hence the rigorous elimination process.
Fortunately for me, this is not the case in the Kingdom of God. Jesus repeatedly offers his invitation to anyone who will hear and respond–anyone who will answer the door when he knocks. It is not hard to get into God’s Kingdom. This morning we’re going to be looking at a verse that tells us to keep testing ourselves to make sure that our salvation is sure–keep administering exams. But don’t be afraid, the entrance exams aren’t hard. They don’t require Spiritual Geniuses. They just require that we pay a little bit of attention. I hope you’re ready to pay attention to your walk with God today. He stands by, ready to help.
Other than the haiku one, if any of you can even explain these questions to me, I’d love to hear from you after church, because I have no idea what they’re talking about. Perhaps their most creative ploy was to place billboards around Silicone Valley and Harvard Square that simply read: “(first 10-digit prime found in consecutive digits of e).com.” Whoever solved the math problem was taken to a Google recruiting site. Of course, as a “for-profit” company, Google’s goal is to get the cream to float to the top. Their hope is to have only the smartest and best working for them, hence the rigorous elimination process.
Fortunately for me, this is not the case in the Kingdom of God. Jesus repeatedly offers his invitation to anyone who will hear and respond–anyone who will answer the door when he knocks. It is not hard to get into God’s Kingdom. This morning we’re going to be looking at a verse that tells us to keep testing ourselves to make sure that our salvation is sure–keep administering exams. But don’t be afraid, the entrance exams aren’t hard. They don’t require Spiritual Geniuses. They just require that we pay a little bit of attention. I hope you’re ready to pay attention to your walk with God today. He stands by, ready to help.