Every year during this season, believers across the world unite to reflect on the hope that the incarnation brings to a broken world. Yet, as many prepare to celebrate the birth of the Messiah, a growing sense of fear and anxiety hangs in the air. Recent years have seen an intensifying hostility towards Western identity, especially towards the Judeo-Christian heritage of the West.
The last couple of years have witnessed pro-Palestinian demonstrations across our cities. These involve an unusual mix of Islamic and leftist ideologies united around a shared rhetoric targeting Israel and the Jewish people, emboldened by the support of Western media and institutions. This has continued even after the war in Gaza ended and the news faded from the front pages. Their persistence, however, demonstrates that something much more sinister is at play than simply objecting to a geopolitical conflict in the Middle East.
The late Rabbi Jonathan Sacks warned precisely about this pattern when he wrote: “The appearance of antisemitism is always an early warning sign of a dangerous dysfunction within a culture, because the hate that begins with Jews never ends with Jews.”
Regrettably, this pattern has a precedent in Europe that people should be aware of. Antisemitism once emerged from within the continent and caused unimaginable devastation that is still felt today. In our times, it seems to be imported from outside, yet it can be equally destructive if society fails to recognise the warning signs.
I am reminded of Pastor Martin Niemoller’s famous quote, whose words serve as a sober warning about the cost of silence: “First they came for the Communists and I did not speak out, because I was not a Communist. Then they came for the Socialists and I did not speak out, because I was not a Socialist. Then they came for the trade unionists and I did not speak out, because I was not a trade unionist. Then they came for the Jews and I did not speak out, because I was not a Jew. Then they came for me, and there was no one left to speak out for me.”
This warning is once again relevant, as the cherished Christmas market has become a focal point of their hatred. Long seen as a symbol of joy and celebration, a place for families to gather and share time together, to enjoy hot chocolate and seasonal foods, and to experience nativity displays and carol singers. They are now labelled a “high-risk” environment that requires armed police, concrete security barriers, and anti-terror protocols.
Across Europe, governments have been forced to respond. France announced heightened security at markets due to a very high terror threat. Germany continues to reckon with the memory of the Christmas market car ramming last December that killed multiple people.
In Dresden, the oldest Christmas market in Germany, Striezelmarkt, which has been running since 1434 and attracts over 2 million visitors annually, now relies on over two million euros worth of bollards, access barriers, and concrete defences. For smaller markets, the cost of this security is too high, and many have been forced to cancel.
Brussels’ Christmas market was met with chaos when pro-Hamas demonstrators turned up with smoke bombs, shouted hateful slogans, vandalised the nativity, and spray-painted pro-Palestinian graffiti across it.
The United Kingdom faces similar challenges. The historic City of York accelerated the installation of anti-terror bollards around its famous Christmas market after police advised the city of the necessity. In the beautiful city of Bath, its renowned market is likewise enclosed by a set of imposing concrete barriers.
These examples illustrate the evolving social landscape in Europe, which is not solely about events in Gaza. It signifies a deeper civilisational conflict aimed at eroding the Christian foundations of Western civilisation.
Scholars are paying attention to this development. Dr Charles Asher Small, speaking before the European Parliament in November 2025 during a presentation titled “Antisemitism and Israel Bashing as a Strategic Threat to the European Union,” issued this chilling warning: “It will not end with the Jews… Europe is going to be ripped apart because of the presence of the Muslim Brotherhood, the abandonment of democratic principles and human rights. But for decades we have been warning European society and North America, and to no avail. But now it is deep in the heart of your cities, your institutions and your culture, and you have a significant problem.”
This clash of worldviews is unmistakable. Yet, the Christian response should not be fear or despair. What we celebrate at Christmas directly addresses this darkness. Two thousand years ago, the Jewish people lived in spiritual darkness under Roman political oppression. It was then that God’s promises were fulfilled. The Bible states that “when the fullness of the time came, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman” (Galatians 4:4). The origins of Christmas are Jewish, rooted in the covenantal promise God made to the nation of Israel. The prophets foretold that the messiah would come as a light in a time of great darkness.
Isaiah spoke of this truth when he proclaimed: “The people who walk in darkness, Will see a great light; Those who live in a dark land, The light will shine on them” (Isaiah 9:2).
A few verses later, the prophets revealed how that light would arrive in human history: “For a child will be born to us, a son will be given to us” (Isaiah 9:6). This child would bear divine titles that testify to His true identity and mission. He was the “Wonderful Counsellor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace”. This child is the one whom John affirms as the eternal Word, who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). He is the one who brings light to the world, as Jesus declares: “I am the light of the world; whoever follows me will not walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12).
In light of this truth, at such a time as this, the church is called not to retreat into the shadows of society but to lift up the name of Jesus with renewed vigour and earnestness. This is primarily a spiritual battle that must be fought with spiritual weapons. Paul reminds us that, “our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places” (Ephesians 6:12).
We cannot expect secular governments around the world to recognise the spiritual dimension of the turmoil unfolding across the West. Therefore, it is our responsibility as Christians to pray and speak the truth of God’s Word into the situation. The call is to walk as children of light (Ephesians 5:8); we are to be “children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world, holding fast the word of life” (Philippians 2:15-16).
The message of the gospel is that light overcomes darkness. The incarnation provides the definitive answer to the rising hatred across the world. As these tensions continue to mount and Western nations struggle to define their identity, Christians have an opportunity to point people to the only Hope that transcends all of them (1 Timothy 1:1) – The Messiah, the Light of the World!
