Striving for Laodicea

While reading in my devotions the other day, I stumbled across some thoughts about the Laodicean church that I had somehow missed before. I think I should backtrack, though.
I've often approached the whole topic of the North American church with tight lipped consternation. I've seen things I didn't like and quite frankly, my attitude toward my brothers and sisters was a little rank. I had often heard it said that we reflected the Laodicean church of Revelation. Without getting into the theological implications of that identity, it became clear to me early on that this was a designation that no good Christian ever wanted. The church was known for it's self-centered addiction to affluence, arrogantly proclaiming that they had need of nothing.
Paul's letter to the Colossians seems to tell a different story. The letter was written to both churches, as was the letter that the Laodiceans initially received (Col. 4:16). Colosse and Laodicea were just a few miles apart. By the way that Paul refers to the two churches, I get the impression that there was some good fellowship going on between the two groups. Paul is commending the church in this area for their faithfulness. He's also concerned about the lies of legalism that were being disseminated. Paul's heart motivated him to say that he was "contending for" and "working hard for" Laodicea. I'm not sure what happened in the short decades between the two books, but even in the very stern warning in Revelation 3, one thing had not changed. The Lord wraps up His message with love; "Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline."
I wonder how much I'm striving for the North American church, embracing her with love even as Christ does. After all, he embraces me with that same love.