Reverend Eric Vickers, Beulah Baptist Church’s Senior Pastor, opened the August 7th Transform Westside Summit with a stirring devotion. He began his message by sharing the sobering story of recently losing a young member of his church and the central idea that “Black lives matter to God.”

Reverend Vickers referenced the story of the Ethiopian eunuch from the Book of Acts in the Bible to illustrate his point. The story from Acts, Vickers explained, highlights the dynamic nature of God’s Word to transcend borders, conventions, and man’s idea of what is possible—as Ethiopia was considered during Biblical times the most remote part of the world. The story also illustrates God’s desire to connect with so-called “outsiders.” The story of the Ethiopian eunuch confirms that even as society marginalizes some groups, God’s love is “designed to draw us in.”

Vickers underscored his point with the observation that with this story, God dramatically represents His love for us through the image of a dark-skinned outsider who was overlooked by traditional society. Reverend Vickers ended his message with the conclusion that “because Black lives matter to God, they should matter to all of us.”

View the devotion in full below.