Cultural Friday 5

Sally writes: I have spent the week at Summer School studying the Gospel and Western culture, we have looked at art, literature, music, film and popular culture in their myriad expressions. With that in mind I bring you the cultural Friday 5.
Name a
1. Book The First book that popped into my head was The Divine Milieu by de Chardin. I am way dating myself here, but it was popular culture once, honest! I read it at the Academy and it blew my socks off as far as my ideas about God. Picture one small midwestwern Catholic girl suddenly realizing that GOD IS EVERYWHERE, from deep within my own soul's still silence to the farthest reaches of the galaxies....wham!!!! went the synapses and I am forever changed!
2. Piece of music The entire choir CD from the Church of my Heart that is the theme music for my Epiphanal return. I still play it when I need to remember, revisit, revitalize.
3. Work of art The Catholic church of my childhood had a large reproduction of the Pieta that sat in its own little annex. I remember standing and staring at it for what seemed like forever, captivated by the detail and expression, "engaged" with the reality of the situation represented...I was maybe all of ten at the time. Art is powerful.
4. Film Philadelphia. Saw it just after a friend had been diagnosed HIV+. Was asking all the "why, God?" questions. Didn't get any answers. Cried. A lot.
5. Unusual engagement with popular culture. Whenever I pay attention to my daily life this seems to happen. Things that make me go "hmmm...."
...that have helped/ challenged you on your spiritual journey.
Bonus: Is engagement essential to your Christian faith, how and why?
Yes, I am incarnate in this place and time, and if I am not engaged, as in "participating, bound up, engrossed, interested and involved"(all dictionary definitions for engaged) with it, I think I'm kinda missing the point.