LUMBERTON, N.C. —  Andrew Bowen sat yoga-style in his armchair, absent-mindedly fingering a set of Muslim prayer beads in his left hand as he talked about 2011 -- his year of conversion.

Benedictines like to say listening is the heart of monastic life. “Listen” is the first word of the Rule of St. Benedict that we follow. Listening to God, to each other, to the head of the community are all part of what defines who we are as monastics. But if we were to be really honest we would also say that listening is very difficult. So when I saw that some Gonzaga alumni were protesting the choice of Archbishop Desmond Tutu as a commencement speaker it struck me that listening is precisely what is so lacking in public and religious discourse in our society today.

Have you heard of The Oak Tree yet? It’s a group of Spokanites who are determined to make a difference in the community outside of church walls. 

   Do you think Desmond Tutu should speak at Gonzaga's commencement? Tracy SimmonsTracy Simmons is an award-winning journalist specializing in religion reporting and digital entrepreneurship. In her approximate 20 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard …

Read about Desmond Tutu coming to Gonzaga.

On one hand Gonzaga has a mission statement that says its purpose is to provide students with a humanistic, Catholic, Jesuit education, which allows them to create a lifetime of service using the values that Christ taught us. And then we have somebody who is standing in front of them …