When Our Light Effects Others

I noticed my new Christmas lights I had just hung around my house after Thanksgiving had a section of lights out. After checking every bulb I noticed the problem was a spliced wire, and set about repairing it. In checking the bulbs though I noticed something that made me think. When I removed a lit bulb from a different area of lights, I'd lose about eight strings of lights along the side of my house. That one light I would pull out would cause about 30 other lights to go out too. I thought this is what its like when a Christian fails or has problems. It doesn't cause everyone in the Body of Christ to be effected, but it does effect those immediately around that person. Jesus said in Matt 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." If they can't see our good works do to something in our life that effects the light, then that will effect others. I remember the large number of Christians that were hurt when Jimmy Swaggart failed, I was enrolled in his college at that time, and I remember walking out of the sanctuary, crying and upset that someone I had put so much trust in had failed. When his light went out, so did a lot of others unfortunately. I recovered though, but how sad that many others to this day refuse to go back to church. I realize we're not to allow the actions of others to effect us, but I believe it is part of being human. None of my friends or relatives died in the World Trade Center, but I remember it deeply impacted me. Had I been given the opportunity to fight those responsible I would have. When God asked Cain where his brother Abel was, Cain replied, "Am I my brothers keeper?" God didn't bother to answer Cain, but we know the answer can be found in the New Testament when Paul wrote in Heb 10:24 "And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works." I believe we need to keep that in mind, our light does effect others. And that my friends is the reality of it!