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Film school inspiration serving on the front lines in Israel

American screenwriter and director Dan Gordon is perhaps best known for his work on such hit films as “Wyatt Earp,” “The Celestine Prophecy,” and “The Hurricane.” He is also known for his strong interest in training and equipping the next generation of filmmakers at the Liberty University Cinematic Arts, Zaki Gordon Center.

Dan Gordon helped to establish Liberty’s film school in 2012. It is named after his late son who had a vision for a school that reaches beyond the traditional model of film education and provides a unique full-immersion learning experience. Dan Gordon regularly visits campus and instructs students on screenwriting.

But film is not Gordon’s only passion. A dual Israeli-American citizen, Gordon is a captain in the Israeli Defense Force Reserves. He is currently documenting his own experience from the front lines of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict within the borders of Gaza.

Each night, Gordon has been recounting the experiences of the day to a select few via email. He describes seeing innocent people killed, injured, and driven out of their homes by missile fire. He details the many cruelties of Hamas, which include the kidnapping and murder of Israeli citizens by means of tunnels dug under the border, as well as refusing to let their own people go to a hospital in Israel for treatment. He talks about Israel’s desire for peace and their many attempts to negotiate with Hamas despite consistent refusals to honor ceasefire agreements.

Gordon himself has been shot at by terrorists and witnessed Hamas attacks timed to coincide with parents dropping their children off for school. He expresses his anger over the injustice of these attacks and the deaths of Palestinians and Israelis alike who were needlessly killed when peace was freely offered.

While watching the devastation in his beloved country could have shaken Gordon’s confidence in God’s care for His people in Israel, this has not been the case.

For Gordon, God’s sovereign control over the destiny of Israel has never been in doubt. He explains that the purpose of these updates is to document the “personal insights and stories of faith that show the Almighty’s love, and that at the end of the day, He is in charge.” Despite the violence and grief now spreading through the nation of Israel, Gordon maintains confidence in God and trusts that by His grace Israel will endure.

Read Gordon’s updates.

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