Arab Christians approach Christmas this year with feelings of intense fear just like the shepherds were as the angel appeared to them 2000 years ago.

Christmas intersects this year with the first anniversary of the Arab spring that swept the Arab world, bringing enormous change across North Africa and the Middle East.

Only one of the Arab countries, where regime changed occurred, has regained substantial stability and some measure of freedom after elections (Tunisia). Others are in the labor of the change (Egypt, Libya, and Yemen) and another is struggling with a bloody conflict with daily killings (Syria).

Are there any signs of joy that will cast out fear for Arab Christians living in the Middle East?

In the short term, fear has the upper hand.

The term “Arab Christian” is viewed by some as an enigma. However, Arabs were represented in Jerusalem on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:11). Arabs accepted the new faith from the beginning and Arab Christian tribes thrived in the Middle East from the earliest days of Christianity.

What about Christians today in the city of Jesus’ death and resurrection (Jerusalem), the land of his refuge as a baby (Egypt), the place of Paul’s conversion (Damascus), or the land from where the Israelites’ passed to the promised land (Jordan)?

Arab Christians have been living in the Middle East among Muslims and Jews as a struggling minority of second class citizens for generations.

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This is an excerpt from a blog post by Botrus Mansour, author of "When Your Neighbor is The Savior" and general director of the Nazareth Baptist School.  The full post is available at Christianity Today.