What if it's American individualism that keeps people away from the communitarianism of Christianity? In a particularly revealing comment, an agnostic friend of mine lately claimed that he prefers mosques to churches because there "are no pictures of people that might be watching you." The thing is, the people watching you are part of the essence of Christianity, they are a participation in the connectedness of the Trinity.
I remember realizing the importance of images in the Catholic church for the first time when I saw the Pentecost painting on the ceiling of the National Shrine. I thought, Pentecostals don't even have pictures of this in their churches; what a beautiful way to honor and remember this day!
As a side note, I've been having trouble appreciating the religious life in Catholicism. Today in a discussion with another friend about "first vows," I thought of Hannah and Samuel and realized that when someone joins up it rightly involves much sacrifice both for that person and for those whom they love and who love them.
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