Too Sweet

Our church is working through the book "Signs of Life" by David Jeremiah. The other day Philip and I read about how we, as Christians, are to be the salt of the earth (we're a couple of days behind - shh . . . don't tell). Obviously the concept of Christians as the salt of the earth is hardly new - neither are most of the points Dr. Jeremiah makes - that salt is meant to preserve, or provide flavor. What was somewhat of a new train of thought for me, however, was the idea that salt promotes thirst and that we, as Christians, are to promote in others a thirst for God. The ending question was, "As the salt of the earth, what am I doing that causes others to thirst for the living water?"
As I drove Philip to work that morning he made some snide comment to a car that cut me off and I reminded him we're supposed to be salty. His response is, "Isn't salt bitter?" It was a joke, and we obviously both understand that making rude comments to other drivers is not the proper way to live out our Christian faith, but a thought occurred to me through all of that - while being the salt of the earth may not indicate carrying an attitude of bitterness, it also doesn't point toward eternal sweetness.
A rampant theology in the church today (especially among the women, especially in the southern region) is that we are called to be the sugar of the earth. We are constantly killing others with kindness - painting on our smiles, hiding our true feelings, oozing as syrup with the sweetness we portray (even if at home we wipe off all the sugar to show the garbage beneath - speaking from myself here). We even sugar-coat the truth, attempting to avoid offense.
Please don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a little sweetness. Sometimes sweet is just who you are, but even the best chocolate chip cookies need a little salt - we need honesty, reality and something that makes others long for more than a glass of milk.
Consider the fact that salt on food deters decay and, yet, sugar encourages decay (consider what the dentist has always told us). When you feed someone sugar what they desire is more sugar - they crave it, they stuff their face with it, then they get crash from it.
When we feed others sweetness, they want more of us, when we feed them salt, they look for the Water.