Christianity as a Pyramid Scheme?

Catholics are not, by and large, stereotypically known for their Missionary work: that is the reputation of the Protestants.  Indeed, so focused are they on preaching the word of God (without liturgies or organized way of living that word) that I have sometimes wondered if Protestant theology is based off of a pyramid scheme - I buy into this thing, and now get others to buy into it as well, who then get others to buy in, and so on.  But where Protestants might be known stereotypically as the missionary Christians, the Church as a whole, led by Rome, has always been aware of how deeply mission is to her nature and constitution.  This awareness was emphasized by Pope Saint John Paul II and the Second Vatican Council.

Philosophically and theologically, the world has underwent several radically isolating movements, but perhaps none so prevalent as the isolation of Descartes.  In reducing the self to nothing more than the mind, humans slowly over the years developed a sense of insurmountable subjectivity: I am alone with my thoughts, and no one else can see my perspective.  The dog-eats-dog world which emerged as a result saw both unbridled Capitalism and Socialism rise from this radical isolation, and Christians of all walks became focused on their own, individual identities as Christians - as if it were possible to be a Christian without other Christians.

Pope Saint John Paul II lived through the most radical of times in a war-torn Poland.  He saw the atrocities of a world which sees Man as isolated, and the logical conclusion which renders him an object to be acted upon.  The Second Vatican Council and the proceeding Pontificate of JPII saw a focus on the missionary nature of the Church as a result.  We are not isolated Christians, who fulfill our obligations to ourselves and our neighbor by ensuring that we at least attend a reverent and valid Liturgy.  We are called to live as Christians in the world, to bring Christ into every aspect of our lives and so to every corner of the world.

In a world so focused on individuality such as ours, it can be easy to conflate observing the proscribed activities of our Faith as being sufficient.  Christians are indeed called to bring themselves to God, first and foremost, but our mission does not stop there.  We do not exist in an isolated world, and are members of the Human family.  We are responsible for both the physical and spiritual needs of our neighbors, and are not free to opt out of the missionary nature of Christianity.  Whether it be a formal missionary trip, or being a missionary in your own home town, the outreach nature of the Church never stops.  Without her mission, the Church is nothing.