The Rev. Rebecca Hewitt-Newson, Pastor of Emmaus Way in Durham
Rev. Rebecca Hewitt-Newson is a Baptist minister who has worked as a hospital chaplain, children’s minister, and is now Co-Pastor of the Emmaus Way community in Durham. “She would continue to have emotional breakdowns on a yearly basis.” I was watching a documentary about an influential, accomplished, though not well-known, civil rights activist. As I heard about their chronic emotional crises, my heartbeat increased, my chest tightened. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, attempting to remain present while my brain went haywire. I allowed the fearful thought – “that could happen to me” – and its accompanying anxiety to stay with me. I didn’t try to chase it away by reassuring myself, I didn’t pause the documentary to do internet research on how common it is to have more breakdowns if you’ve already had one or more. Instead, I said to myself “maybe this will be me and maybe it won’t” and I kept watching through the sound of alarm bells ringing on in my head. Almost three years ag