Ancestors
Several years ago, my wife and I pursued DNA ancestor testing. My results were mostly unremarkable and expected.
My families background was mostly European. A large percentage from Great Britain and Scandinavian countries (which matched family stories I was told as a kid regarding being descended from Swedish royalty). A good portion from Germany and other European countries. Finally, just under 2% from North Africa (Liberia, I think I recall). I celebrated my multi nationality and mixed racial background.
My wife had a similar type of background, shifted more towards Eastern European and Great Britain. She, however, had two big surprises. The first was that she had heard growing up about her families’ Native American ancestors but the DNA test didn’t show any contribution from Native American Indians. She shared this result with her parents but they assumed it was wrong. That’s how embedded this family history assumption of Native American ancestors were in their upbringing.
The second big surprise was that she also had about 2% of her DNA from Africa. In her case, it was from the Congo in the heart of continental Africa. So, while I claimed mixed racial background from my North Africa portion, she had a much higher probability of a mixed racial background. In both cases, it’s hard to say, with a straight face, that we are mixed racial not because we aren't but we are about as Caucasian as it goes.
In looking over the DNA material, results like our 2% of African background or even a significant Native American Indian (0.8%) are average. This tells me that races are more nhomogeneous than we imagine or care to admit. If I want to think of heritage to an extreme, I believe we are all descendant from Adam and Eve. Therefore, we are one human race.
“What then shall we say was gained by Abraham, our forefather according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness.” Now to the one who works, his wages are not counted as a gift but as his due. And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” Is this blessing then only for the circumcised, or also for the uncircumcised? For we say that faith was counted to Abraham as righteousness. How then was it counted to him? Was it before or after he had been circumcised? It was not after, but before he was circumcised. He received the sign of circumcision as a seal of the righteousness that he had by faith while he was still uncircumcised. The purpose was to make him the father of all who believe without being circumcised, so that righteousness would be counted to them as well, and to make him the father of the circumcised who are not merely circumcised but who also walk in the footsteps of the faith that our father Abraham had before he was circumcised. For the promise to Abraham and his offspring that he would be heir of the world did not come through the law but through the righteousness of faith. For if it is the adherents of the law who are to be the heirs, faith is null and the promise is void.” - Romans 4:1-14 ESV
Romans 4 describes a much more important heritage. Being grafted into the body of believers, a descendant of Abraham, by faith. An heir to God’s kingdom. This is my racial tribe.
