Why the mystery of the Church is revealed through images

If I was to describe the beauty of my wife, I would only be able to do it through analogies, and images.  So to with the Church, since the Church is a beautiful mystery, images are needed to go deeper into her beauty.    That being said, the second part of Lumen Gentium Ch.1 focuses its attention on how the Church reveals her identity through signs and symbols. Here are a few images of the Church that Lumen Gentium ch.1 presents:

The Kingdom of God (LG 5)

God reveals the Church through Christ the proclamation of the gospel, that is, the kerygma, this proclamation the revelation of the kingdom of God coming to earth in Christ himself through his deeds and most especially the incarnation.  Wherever God is present, the kingdom of God follows. Since God is fully present among us in the sacraments, so does his kingdom follow us in the sacraments, especially in the Eucharist.  Consequently, we can say that kingdom of God is present among us here and now as the Church.  The kingdom of God reveals to us Christ's Kingship in relation to the Church.

The Sheepfold (LG 6; CCC 754)

Christ is the Good Shepherd who lays down his life for his sheep which is the Church.  When the sheep remain in the flock they will remain safe, but when a sheep go astray they become victim to wolves.  So to with the Church, when we remain as part of the flock through the obedience of faith we can find safety, but when we leave the flock because of our disobedience we become a victim to wolves.

A Cultivated Field (LG 6; CCC 755)

All throughout the scriptures there are gardening reference such as vineyard, fields, etc. "On that land the ancient olive tree grows whose holy roots were the prophets and in which the reconciliation of the Jews and Gentiles has been brought about an will be brought about again (Rom 11:13-26)" (LG 6).  In synoptic gospels we see Jesus using parable of seed being sown (Mt. 13:13-9); of the vineyard  (Mt 20:1-16); Jesus himself is a Gardner.  In the Garden of Gethsemane he experiences the darkness of the garden overwhelmed with the growth of sin which in the  Church and  in the world.  Soon afterward his rises from the dead and is now the gardener trimming back sin in the garden of our souls so that new life can begin, both within the Church and within our souls. 

The Building of God (LG 6; CCC 756)

Christ refers to himself as the "cornerstone" that the builders have rejected (Eph.2:20).  The cornerstone of what? The Church. In ancient Israel the the Temple was central place of worship, and central place to worship. The temple being a physical place made worship something tangible rather than abstract.  Thereby providing a closer relationship with the divine. Furthermore, Christ wants to explain the Church is built on a solid foundation that will last because he is the cornerstone holding it in place and the Holy  Spirit is the "mortar" that holds all the stones together which is all of us.  When we, as living stones, are well attached to the mortar of the  Holy Spirit, the Church becomes an impregnable fortress built upon Peter, the rock (Mt 16:18). However, sin weakens the mortar of the Holy Spirit and the members of the Church can crumble, weakening the Church, but never destroying it.

Heavenly Jerusalem (LG 6; CCC 757)

Since the Jews were God's chosen people it is only fitting that Jerusalem was to be seen as heaven on earth.  At Mass when we come as a Church, we enter into again the real heavenly Jerusalem, which is heaven itself.  Here through the necessity of worship, Christ's priestly role is revealed.

Our Mother (LG 6)

The Church is indeed our mother, just as Christ, is her spouse and Son of the Eternal Father.  In the Old Testament the Eternal Father views his beloved spouse the Church as a beautiful bride, or at other times, a harlot like in the book Hosea.  In the New Testament the bridal relationship continues with the Son, Jesus Christ, to which he gave his life up for her (Eph. 5:26).  In either case she is our mother, and like most mothers she is constantly nagging us because she loves us.  The Church is our mother because she focuses on the details, (like most mothers)  which we call doctrines.  Why do people come back to the Church when they are older?  Because they matured and realized their mother is always right.

The Body of Christ (LG 7)

The Body of Christ, is probably the most used image in St. Paul's writings, specifically in 1Cor. 12:12-31.  Our physical bodies has both a visible and invisible dimension, you can see person's nose, but you cannot see their heart or stomach.  However both the visible and invisible parts are important. The same with the Church.  The Church is visible and invisible.  The visible is the Church militant, but the invisible is the Church suffering and the Church triumphant.

The physical body has a circulatory system that delivers blood to the whole body which brings life. The "circulatory system" of the Church is the Holy Spirit that brings new life throughout the universal Church to each part of its individual members which is all of us.

The physical body has a heart.  The heart of the Church is Christ himself from which the Holy Spirit flows through the Church in the form of grace given to us in the sacraments.  

The Creed (LG 8)

Finally in Lumen Gentium Ch 1. ar. 8 presents the Church through the Creed.  These set of doctrines and beliefs are not stagnant, but rather take action when incorporated into Christ and his redemption. Without Christ, the Creed provides us with nothing but a bunch of arbitrary beliefs that have no meaning.  However when these belief are incorporated into Christ through the Church, the Church becomes the lifeline between us and Christ.  The teachings become life giving.