Greetings from Russell's Remnant: (Modified Zen Tale)

Once upon a time, there lived a young man in England who came from a wealthy merchant family. He became a knight in the king's army and was sent to Europe to defeat the infidel. He was a brave warrior and killed many Moslems in Spain for the honor of his God, his king, and his country.

After several years, he tired of fighting and left the army. He wandered through Europe alone and sick. He finally found refuge in a monastery in the Pyrenees Mountains. The monks fed him, healed him, and taught him the monastic ways. He took his begging bowl out each day and begged for food. One day he noticed that the parishioners from the other side of the mountains had to make a perilous journey around the mountain to get to the chapel, often incurring rock slides which killed some of the people. This once knight, now a humble monk, decided to help the people on their journey to the monastery to worship Christ.

He decided, as an atonement, that he would build a tunnel through the mountains for the people to make up for the killing of the people he had done in his earlier life. He enlisted the help of an engineer who told him that the project would not work and would be too dangerous. He asked the king to help pay for the tunnel, but the king was not interested. He then asked his fellow monks to help him, but they told him that they were too busy with the study of the scriptures. Not deterred, the monk decided to build the tunnel himself. So by day he begged and by night he dug the tunnel.

For sixteen years he labored. One day a very attractive young woman rode up to him on a beautiful Andalusian stallion. She was dressed in leather with the air of a fighter and a long broad sword hanging from her waist. She carried a bow and a quiver of arrows. She dismounted her horse and walked over to the monk.

The monk looked at her for he had never seen such a woman. He asked her, "What may I do for you, my lady?"

She looked at him with anger in her eyes and said, "I am going to take my sword and cut off your head."

"But why?" he replied.

"Because you killed my father many years ago. I was just five years old, but I saw you do it. I promised my mother that I would become a warrior, learn the skills of a swordsman and one day kill you."

"The monk looked at her with great understanding and said, "You are welcome to kill me, but I would ask one favor first."

She coolly glanced at him and said, "What is that?"

I am building a tunnel for the people to make their journey to the chapel easier and safer. I have been working on the tunnel for sixteen years and I only need a couple of more years to finish the task. Would you let me finish the tunnel? On the day I finish, I will gladly let you cut off my head."

She hated the man, but something in her was touched by his determination and persistence. She agreed to let him continue. She set up a tent on the side of the mountain overlooking the road from the tunnel back to the monastery. She watched him closely to see if he was going to try and flee. He never did. Everyday she would watch him go by.

He would look at her and compliment her on her appearance or on her skills as a swordsman or archer. She did not trust him so she would only begrudgingly acknowledge his comments. He was still a handsome knight, but his duties as a monk were wearing on his health. She decided to help him carry his tools into the tunnel each day and she would sit and watch him as he toiled. She would fill his lanterns as they grew empty. One day he brought her a book on the mystical life. She began to read it. She did not understand it, but he would answer any questions she had.

Finally one day, she helped him carry his tools into the mountain. She lit the lanterns and instead of sitting and reading, she took up a shovel and began to help him remove the rocks he had taken from the mountain with his pick. She began to sleep during the day and work with him at night. In a year they had completed the tunnel.

When the final rocks had been removed, he put down his shovel, walked over to the water barrel. He washed himself making sure that his face and neck were clean. He turned to her and said, "You may cut off my head now."

She looked at him and said, "I cannot kill you."

"But why not," he asked. "We made a bargain. I am not afraid to die."

She turned away so he would not see her tears. "I cannot kill my teacher and the man I love."

No one knows what happened to these two, but it is believed that he took her with him to the British Isles to become a fisher of men. It is said that they settled on the west coast of Wales. He became a fisherman by day to make a living and disappeared each night to serve the people in ways that others did not understand.

She also worked to be a fisher of men. She became his spiritual partner and worked with him to help bring about the return of the Christ and the Order of Melchizedek.