1. Of or relating to Laodicea.

2. Indifferent or lukewarm especially in matters of religion.

 It is the second definition that is of most interest to me. In Revelation Jesus instructs John to write seven letters to seven churches, one of them being the church of Laodicea. Generally the message is one of judgement with a call to repentance.

 Revelation 3:15-16 (New King James Version)

15 “I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. 16 So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.

 Revelation 3:17-18 (New King James Version)

17 Because you say, ‘I am rich, have become wealthy, and have need of nothing’—and do not know that you are wretched, miserable, poor, blind, and naked— 18 I counsel you to buy from Me gold refined in the fire, that you may be rich; and white garments, that you may be clothed, that the shame of your nakedness may not be revealed; and anoint your eyes with eye salve, that you may see.

I can’t help but look at the sad state of the church in America and think that Jesus is speaking directly to us (I’m sure I am not alone in this opinion); I also don’t believe for a second that the word Laodicean came up by chance at this point in our nation’s history. Looking through all of the Scripp National Spelling Bee winning words, there have been only two proper nouns selected that were spelled correctly: Laodicean, and interestingly enough, the other was Purim. Hmm. The word, with its associated Biblical meaning and ramifications, has been “injected” into the American conscious again out of the mouth of a child. I just wonder if anyone is listening.