TearLick (detail). 2001.
Photo silk screen, ink, oil,
thread, gold leaf, wax on paper. 2 panels : 65 x 50 in each.
Lesley Dill as a Gift of the Spirit
By Reverend John Mendez
Tongues on Fire : Visions and Ecstasy Exhibition Catalogue
Southeastern Center for Contemporary Art
Tongues on Fire: Visions and Ectasy, a project that began with many intellectual, artistic, cultural, and academic components, turned out to be a genuine transcending experience for all involved- especially Lesley Dill. For the Emmanuel Baptist Church family, this project was a confirmation and witness to the spiritual power we sing, pray, and testify about.
For some strange unarticulated reason, when I was first approached about Tongues on Fire, I did not raise a defensive antenna of what one scholar refers to as a "hermeneutic of suspicion." Instead I felt a genuine meeting of the spirits and openness of the hearts. I sensed in Lesley Dill a willingness to search and know the way and workings of the spirit in an African-American context. After we broke bread together following Sunday morning's worship, I was convinced that Emmanuel Baptist Church should participate in Dill's community project with SECCA.
At the time I did not suspect the impact this experience would have on Dill and our church. Dill's involvement was more than an intellectual and cultural quest. It was more than a job. Hers was a real encounter with the holy that exposed her own personal and private spiritual journey. It resulted in her finding a spiritual home, family, and oneness among us. Her vision and activisim for oneness and diversity in the world exposed her purity of heart.