A year ago, before we replaced the carpeting in the Sunday school rooms, I drew a chalk line across the classroom floor. I then shared the story of Jesus healing 10 men from Samaria.

Do you recall the story?

Luke begins the passage with this phrase: “Now on his way to Jerusalem…”

Jesus has turned toward the city where he will soon die. He has turned toward the cross. In a way, this is a Gospel portrait from the first Lenten season.

Luke adds another phrase: “…Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee…”

People on opposite sides of the border didn’t appreciate each other. They didn’t associate with each other. But the Samarian men, suffering from leprosy, had faith in Jesus, and Jesus responded to their cries. Together, they obliterated the border.

In my classroom, as I shared the story, the children used their hands and feet to erase the chalk line.

Can we look at Lent as a season of erasing borders?

In our Sunday evening Lenten worship services—a series entitled “Leaning Toward the Light: Soaking up the Presence of Jesus” and shared with siblings from St. Paul’s Lutheran, St. Matthews AME Zion, and Sewickley Presbyterian churches—we will see Jesus crossing into difficult places. We will see him meet with Satan in the wilderness, with Nicodemus at night, with the Samarian woman at the well, and with Mary and Martha as they grieve the death of their brother, Lazarus.

Why did Jesus cross into those difficult conversations? To obliterate borders, to knock down fear and resentment and temptation and pain.

Can we look for borders to cross as we walk through Lent this year? Can we erase lines that separate us? Together, let’s pray into the possibilities.

On March 5, as the sun sets around 6:15 pm, from wherever you are, with whomever would choose to join you, let’s pray together asking Our Lord to show us borders we can cross.

Lord, help us to cross racial and cultural borders to share your love. Help us to cross borders created by age and gender. Help us to cross borders to connect with your LBGTQ+ children. Help us to cross borders created by economic differences.

Lord, on our way to Jerusalem with you this year, help us to obliterate all the chalk lines drawn between us. Amen.