It’s difficult to prioritize the issues facing the world’s poor when we don’t see them in our everyday lives. This week’s Relentless ACT:S of Sacrifice challenge is to sacrifice our surroundings by redecorating our personal spaces in order to inspire everyday action – but this is also a great lesson in how to be a creative activist.

Simply defined, creative activism is bringing issues to life. When we become passionate about an injustice, we want to share that passion with others. We might hold an event or share what we’ve learned. But too often, it is difficult for others to understand when they have not had the same experiences that we’ve had. Creative Activism enables us to be the bridge between our everyday world and the world of others by using our talents and imagination to move beyond just telling others about an issue to actually bringing that issue to life for them. It’s about creating a tangible and common experience, no matter how small.

Recreate Your Space

This week, we are recreating our personal spaces to inspire us to connect faith and justice and act on the issues that break the heart of God. As you think about how you create an inspirational surrounding for your everyday life, think about how you might similarly create an inspirational experience for others.

If you’re holding an event, how can you change the walls and setting to create an experiential environment? If you’re promoting a cause on a campus or in your local community, how might you creatively bring that issue to life – experientially introducing stories, statistics, or some other reality that seems distant from our present surroundings? The idea is to give others a taste of a world outside their own – not to guilt but to inspire action and invite transformation.

When I was in college, some friends and I were dismayed by the impact global AIDS had on children and orphans – but it was hard to translate what many of us had seen in sub-SaharanAfricawith the campus at large. So we put together a t-shirt campaign, recruiting 1 in 20 students to represent the 1 in 20 children orphaned by AIDS inAfrica. It didn’t change the world, but it opened some eyes and started some conversations.

Here’s a story and video of what we did. Similarly, activists have used slavery demonstrations, malaria bed nets, porridge meals, art and videos, etc. to share issues of poverty and injustice with others.

Do you have an example of how you’ve used creative activism to activate others? Share it. We’re putting together the largest database ever of resources, ideas, and best practices for creative activism. Create a story to share what you did, what worked, and why others should replicate your actions. And upload the resources you’ve used to mobilize others.

Then share how you might experiment with creative activism – this week or in the coming weeks – by creating an ACT:ION.

Together, we can be a bridge between the world that is—and the world that God desires.

Still getting your head around the new ACT:S? Here’s some quick tutorials to get you started:

- Understanding the Basics (video tutorial)

- How to Share Stories & Best Practices

- How to Upload Resources

- How to Take Action

- Making Useful Resources for Others

- Using Your Dashboard