Now Hiring: Metaverse Builders. Meta, formerly known as Facebook, Inc., plans to hire 10,000 people in the European Union over the next five years to work on a new computing platform. Recruiters are targeting folks in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Poland, the Netherlands, and Ireland for the hiring drive. But what is the metaverse, anyway?

Think of it as the internet in 3-D. CEO Mark Zuckerberg describes his vision as a “virtual environment” you can go inside—instead of just looking at on a screen. It’s a world of virtual communities where people can meet, work, and play. Users connect via virtual reality (VR) headsets, augmented reality glasses, smartphone apps, or other devices. Activities like attending virtual concerts, taking a trip online, and buying digital clothing can happen inside the metaverse. Instead of seeing co-workers on a video call grid, employees could see them virtually or “teleport” into an office as a hologram.

But don’t expect a trip to the metaverse anytime soon. Meta warns it could take 10 to 15 years to fully develop products for the metaverse.

Meta isn’t the only group working on the metaverse. No single company will own and operate it. Other players include Epic Games. It has raised $1 billion from investors to build the metaverse.

Tech companies still have to figure out how to connect their online platforms to each other. Making it work will require agreement on a set of standards, so people aren’t separated into multiple ’verses.

In October, Facebook, Inc., changed its name to Meta Platforms, Inc., or Meta for short. Zuckerberg says it’s no longer just a social media company. The social network itself is still called Facebook.

Facebook launched meeting software for companies, called Horizon Workrooms, to use with its Oculus VR headsets. But early reviews have been mixed.

Facebook uses personal data to sell targeted advertising. Executives want to use the same business model in the metaverse. That raises privacy concerns, especially since developers are still figuring out what the metaverse will do.

Of course, the metaverse could be the latest grand vision that doesn’t turn out as expected. Plenty of Zuckerberg’s plans have not materialized so far, like taking virtual vacations with faraway loved ones via a headset. Human plans may fail. God’s plans never do.

Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand. — Proverbs 19:21

Why? Christians follow the news of human plans and consider the benefits or harm to our lives, but we also remember that, ultimately, God is in control.

Pray: For the ability to trust in God’s sovereignty over our lives.